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→South Bend
South Bend is Notre Dame, the Golden Dome, and the Touchdown Jesus mural visible from the football stadium. The St. Joseph River runs through downtown, and the East Bank district has the food and bar scene. The University of Notre Dame campus is genuinely beautiful (the basilica, the lakes, the grottos). Smaller than its national reputation suggests, with a steady college-town pulse.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,843/mo
$1,391/mo
$1,452/mo less than Honolulu (104%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$230k
$831k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$6,692/mo
South Bend has $2,118/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
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
40 days
days below 20°F per year
South Bend drops below 20°F on 40 more days per year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
53 / 100
2.0 pts behind Honolulu
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
9 routes
42 fewer direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
324k metro
Honolulu has 5.6x more events per month than South Bend.
the verdict
4
Honolulu
categories won
4
South Bend
categories won
Honolulu wins on weather and lifestyle, South Bend wins on money. Dead even.
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