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→Cape Coral
Cape Coral has over 400 miles of navigable canals, more than any city in the world, which means many homes literally have boat docks in the backyard. It's a planned community that grew up around water, with easy access to the Caloosahatchee River and the Gulf. The boating, fishing, and manatee-watching are the main events. It's flat, sunny, and built for waterfront life.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,859/mo
$1,040/mo less than Los Angeles (56%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$355k
$674k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,474/mo
Cape Coral has $1,815/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
250 days
33 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
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 19 more days above 95°F each year than Cape Coral.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
55 / 100
12.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
33 routes
117 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
835k metro
the verdict
3
Los Angeles
categories won
5
Cape Coral
categories won
Cape Coral wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on lifestyle.
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