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→Columbia
Columbia is the South Carolina capital, USC Gamecock country, and home to one of the largest urban rivers (the Congaree) flowing right past downtown. The Saluda River outside town is a tubing destination locals swear by, and Congaree National Park's old-growth cypress is a 30-minute drive. The state museum is a sleeper good time. Slower-paced than Charleston, less touristy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,551/mo
$1,348/mo less than Los Angeles (87%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$255k
$774k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,241/mo
Columbia has $1,582/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
189 days
94 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
27 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Columbia has 8 more days above 95°F each year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
55 / 100
12.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
10 routes
140 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
857k metro
Los Angeles has 18.3x more events per month than Columbia.
the verdict
4
Los Angeles
categories won
4
Columbia
categories won
Los Angeles wins on weather and lifestyle, Columbia 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