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→Durham
Durham is Duke University, old tobacco warehouses turned into incredible restaurants and breweries (the American Tobacco Campus is a model for adaptive reuse), and a food scene that punches way above its size (multiple James Beard winners). Bull City pride runs deep. The Eno River and Duke Gardens are right in town. It's more diverse, weirder, and more interesting than outsiders expect.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,684/mo
$1,215/mo less than Los Angeles (72%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$415k
$615k 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
$6,274/mo
Durham has $1,615/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
178 days
105 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
19 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
5 days
days below 20°F per year
Durham drops below 20°F on 5 more days per 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
39 routes
111 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
609k metro
Los Angeles has 9.9x more events per month than Durham.
the verdict
4
Los Angeles
categories won
4
Durham
categories won
Los Angeles wins on weather and lifestyle, Durham wins on money. Dead even.
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