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→Spartanburg
Spartanburg is the Upstate of South Carolina, with rolling foothills, peach orchards (yes, South Carolina actually grows more peaches than Georgia in some years), and the largest BMW manufacturing plant in the world just outside town. The downtown's been revitalizing with breweries and restaurants. Wofford and Converse keep college energy in town. The Blue Ridge is right there.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,843/mo
$1,434/mo
$1,409/mo less than Honolulu (98%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$277k
$784k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$6,358/mo
Spartanburg has $1,784/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
191 days
125 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
16 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
4 days
days below 20°F per year
Spartanburg has 16 more days above 95°F each year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
68 / 100
13.0 pts ahead of Honolulu
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
20 routes
31 fewer direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
383k metro
Honolulu has 6.3x more events per month than Spartanburg.
the verdict
3
Honolulu
categories won
5
Spartanburg
categories won
Spartanburg wins on money. Honolulu has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
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