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→Milwaukee
Milwaukee is beer (the Pabst and Miller legacy still hangs in the air), bratwurst (with the proper amount of mustard, please), and a Lake Michigan shoreline that goes on forever. Frozen custard is a regional specialty and a serious one. The Calatrava-designed art museum has wings that literally open and close on Lake Michigan. Friendly here means you'll have a new friend by the second beer.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,843/mo
$1,504/mo
$1,339/mo less than Honolulu (89%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$394k
$667k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
6.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$6,307/mo
Milwaukee has $1,733/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
149 days
167 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
62 days
days below 20°F per year
Milwaukee drops below 20°F on 62 more days per year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
61 / 100
6.0 pts ahead of Honolulu
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
30 routes
21 fewer direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
1.6M metro
Honolulu has 1.4x more events per month than Milwaukee.
the verdict
3
Honolulu
categories won
5
Milwaukee
categories won
Milwaukee wins on money. Honolulu has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
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