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→Hartford
Hartford is the insurance capital of America (Aetna, Travelers, the works), with the steeple of the Travelers building visible from miles away. Mark Twain wrote Huckleberry Finn in his weird and wonderful Hartford house, now a museum. The Connecticut River curves past downtown, and the surrounding small towns are New England postcard material. Quieter than its neighbors, with serious history.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,931/mo
$968/mo less than Los Angeles (50%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$411k
$618k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$5,944/mo
Hartford has $1,285/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
148 days
135 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
47 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 18 more days above 95°F each year than Hartford. Hartford drops below 20°F on 47 more days per year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
67 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
26 routes
124 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
1.2M metro
Los Angeles has 12.0x more events per month than Hartford.
the verdict
3
Los Angeles
categories won
5
Hartford
categories won
Hartford wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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