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→Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City sits in a bowl of mountains so close you can be at a ski lift in 30 minutes. The grid is laid out from Temple Square in clean numbered streets that make navigation almost too easy. The Great Salt Lake glints west, the Wasatch towers east, and the city itself has loosened up into a real food and bar scene in the last decade. The powder really is that light.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,843/mo
$1,608/mo
$1,235/mo less than Honolulu (77%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$584k
$477k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
4.7%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$6,338/mo
Salt Lake City has $1,764/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
168 days
148 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
23 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
33 days
days below 20°F per year
Salt Lake City has 23 more days above 95°F each year than Honolulu. Salt Lake City drops below 20°F on 33 more days per year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
78 / 100
23.0 pts ahead of Honolulu
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
90 routes
39 more direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
1.3M metro
Honolulu has 1.5x more events per month than Salt Lake City.
the verdict
3
Honolulu
categories won
6
Salt Lake City
categories won
Salt Lake City wins on money and lifestyle. Honolulu has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
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