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→Birmingham
Birmingham was built on steel and reshaped by the civil rights movement, and you can feel both stories in the city. The Civil Rights Institute is essential, the food scene (Highlands Bar and Grill, Hot and Hot Fish Club, plenty more) is one of the most acclaimed in the South. The Vulcan statue, the largest cast-iron statue in the world, looks down on the city from Red Mountain. Younger than its reputation suggests.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,407/mo
$1,492/mo less than Los Angeles (106%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$261k
$769k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,510/mo
Birmingham has $1,851/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
171 days
112 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
28 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
4 days
days below 20°F per year
Birmingham has 9 more days above 95°F each year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
61 / 100
6.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
20 routes
130 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
1.2M metro
Los Angeles has 3.9x more events per month than Birmingham.
the verdict
4
Los Angeles
categories won
4
Birmingham
categories won
Los Angeles wins on weather and lifestyle, Birmingham wins on money. Dead even.
run your numbers
How far does your Los Angeles salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works