01 · the cities
Lakeland
Lakeland has the largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world, on the Florida Southern College campus (designed in the 1940s, all skylights and copper). The city sits between Tampa and Orlando, with actual swans patrolling its namesake downtown lake (the city even has a swan management program). Publix is headquartered here, which Floridians treat as a point of pride.
full dispatch→Clarksville
Clarksville is anchored by Fort Campbell (just across the Kentucky line, home of the 101st Airborne), with a growing downtown and the Cumberland River curving past. There's a quieter charm here, a strong military community, and quick access to Nashville (45 minutes south). Affordable, growing fast, and underrated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,834/mo
$1,337/mo
$497/mo less than Lakeland (37%)
Median home price
Median home price
$301k
$294k
$7k less than Lakeland
State income tax
State income tax
0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,499/mo
$6,996/mo
Clarksville has $497/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
206 days
173 days
33 fewer than Lakeland
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
13 days
9 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
15 days
days below 20°F per year
Clarksville drops below 20°F on 15 more days per year than Lakeland.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
48 / 100
51 / 100
3.0 pts ahead of Lakeland
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
68 routes
47 routes
21 fewer direct routes than Lakeland
Metro size
Metro size
818k metro
337k metro
Lakeland has 6.0x more events per month than Clarksville.
the verdict
3
Lakeland
categories won
4
Clarksville
categories won
Clarksville wins on money. Lakeland has the edge on weather.
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