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→Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge is LSU football, the Mississippi River bending past downtown, and the kind of food (gumbo, jambalaya, boudin, po'boys) that makes you want to lie down after lunch. The Louisiana state capitol is the tallest in the country, a 34-story Art Deco tower that looks more like a Manhattan office building. Cajun warmth runs through everything, with a slightly more buttoned-up daily pace than New Orleans.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,361/mo
$1,538/mo less than Los Angeles (113%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$250k
$779k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,722/mo
Baton Rouge has $2,063/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
187 days
96 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
25 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
Baton Rouge has 6 more days above 95°F each year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
50 / 100
17.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
4 routes
146 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
874k metro
Los Angeles has 23.2x more events per month than Baton Rouge.
the verdict
4
Los Angeles
categories won
4
Baton Rouge
categories won
Los Angeles wins on weather and lifestyle, Baton Rouge wins on money. Dead even.
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