01 · the cities
Honolulu
Honolulu is Waikiki's high-rises pressed against turquoise water, Diamond Head crater glowing pink at dawn, and plate lunches that mix Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Portuguese into one perfect styrofoam container. Surf the south shore in summer, the north in winter. The North Shore is a 45-minute drive into a totally different world. Aloha here is a way of moving through the day.
full dispatch→Lancaster
Lancaster is the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country, with horse-drawn buggies on rural roads and the Central Market (the oldest continuously operating farmers market in the country, since the 1730s). The food scene is sneaky-strong, the surrounding farmland is gorgeous, and the city's downtown has come back nicely. Whoopie pies, shoofly pies, and sticky buns are mandatory.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,843/mo
$1,517/mo
$1,326/mo less than Honolulu (87%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$384k
$677k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$6,561/mo
Lancaster has $1,987/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
316 days
158 days
158 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
25 days
days below 20°F per year
Lancaster drops below 20°F on 25 more days per year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
63 / 100
8.0 pts ahead of Honolulu
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
1 routes
50 fewer direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
559k metro
Honolulu has 6.3x more events per month than Lancaster.
the verdict
3
Honolulu
categories won
5
Lancaster
categories won
Lancaster wins on money. Honolulu has the edge on weather.
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