01 · the cities
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is 88 cities pretending to be one, connected by freeways and a shared love of really good tacos. Every neighborhood is its own scene: surfers in Venice, the Korean grandmas of K-town, mountains rising behind Pasadena, Persian rugs in Westwood. The light at golden hour is so good it makes Instagram filters jealous. Roll the windows down at golden hour, put on a playlist, and let the city stretch out.
full dispatch→Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor is the University of Michigan, with the Big House (Michigan Stadium) holding over 107,000 people on football Saturdays, making it briefly the third-largest city in Michigan. Downtown is tree-lined brick streets, great independent bookstores, and a food scene with strong Middle Eastern and Korean energy. Zingerman's Deli is a national pilgrimage. The Huron River runs through. College town energy at its best.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$2,082/mo
$817/mo less than Los Angeles (39%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$429k
$600k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$5,897/mo
Ann Arbor has $1,238/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
283 days
154 days
129 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
51 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 19 more days above 95°F each year than Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor drops below 20°F on 51 more days per year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
56 / 100
11.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
135 routes
15 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
366k metro
Los Angeles has 24.9x more events per month than Ann Arbor.
the verdict
4
Los Angeles
categories won
5
Ann Arbor
categories won
Ann Arbor wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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