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→Asheville
Asheville is what happens when a mountain town and an art school have a baby and raise it on craft beer. Downtown packs more breweries per capita than almost anywhere in America, plus buskers on every corner and Art Deco buildings the Depression accidentally preserved (the city went broke before it could tear them down). The Biltmore, America's largest private home, looms on the edge of town like a stone-carved flex. Remote workers keep showing up, which is how you know.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,738/mo
$1,161/mo less than Los Angeles (67%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$430k
$599k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,220/mo
Asheville has $1,561/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
201 days
82 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
13 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 19 more days above 95°F each year than Asheville. Asheville drops below 20°F on 13 more days per year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
66 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
8 routes
142 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
417k metro
Los Angeles has 9.9x more events per month than Asheville.
the verdict
3
Los Angeles
categories won
5
Asheville
categories won
Asheville wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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