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→Reading
Reading is the Pagoda lit up on Mount Penn (a Japanese-style pavilion built in 1908 that's become the city symbol), old factory bones, and the surrounding Berks County farmland. The downtown food and art scene is growing into the old factory bones, with breweries and galleries opening steadily. Pretzels, scrapple, and Pennsylvania Dutch baking are everywhere. Cheaper than nearby Lancaster.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,843/mo
$1,478/mo
$1,365/mo less than Honolulu (92%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$311k
$750k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$6,600/mo
Reading has $2,026/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
157 days
159 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
32 days
days below 20°F per year
Reading drops below 20°F on 32 more days per year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
65 / 100
10.0 pts ahead of Honolulu
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
0 routes
51 fewer direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
433k metro
Honolulu has 3.3x more events per month than Reading.
the verdict
3
Honolulu
categories won
5
Reading
categories won
Reading wins on money. Honolulu has the edge on weather.
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