01 · the cities
Kansas City
Kansas City is barbecue (burnt ends are a local invention), jazz (the 18th and Vine district fed Charlie Parker and Count Basie), and fountains everywhere you turn. The city straddles two states and doesn't make a big deal out of it. The Plaza shopping district looks like Seville, which is delightfully odd for the Midwest. Friendly here means genuinely friendly.
full dispatch→Cleveland
Cleveland is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the West Side Market's 100+ years of pierogies and bratwurst, and Lake Erie sunsets that put the coastal hype to shame. The Cuyahoga River caught fire so many times it inspired the Clean Water Act. The Cleveland Orchestra is consistently ranked among the world's best. Summers on the lake are gorgeous, and the food scene is having a real moment.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,502/mo
$1,419/mo
$83/mo less than Kansas City (6%)
Median home price
Median home price
$326k
$252k
$74k less than Kansas City
State income tax
State income tax
4.7%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,440/mo
$6,582/mo
Cleveland has $142/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
170 days
159 days
11 fewer than Kansas City
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
8 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
26 days
27 days
days below 20°F per year
Kansas City has 8 more days above 95°F each year than Cleveland.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
56 / 100
63 / 100
7.0 pts ahead of Kansas City
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
43 routes
56 routes
13 more direct routes than Kansas City
Metro size
Metro size
2.2M metro
2.2M metro
Kansas City and Cleveland have similar event volume.
the verdict
1
Kansas City
categories won
7
Cleveland
categories won
Cleveland wins this comparison, leading on money and lifestyle.
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