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→Huntsville
Huntsville is Rocket City, with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the Saturn V rocket on display at the Space and Rocket Center, and a tech and engineering economy that punches way above the city's size. Cummings Research Park is the second-largest research park in the U.S. The Tennessee River and Monte Sano State Park give it a quiet outdoor side. Affordable and surprisingly smart.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,374/mo
$1,525/mo less than Los Angeles (111%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$316k
$714k 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
$6,543/mo
Huntsville has $1,884/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
177 days
106 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
13 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
6 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 6 more days above 95°F each year than Huntsville. Huntsville drops below 20°F on 6 more days per year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
58 / 100
9.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
9 routes
141 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
527k metro
Los Angeles has 10.9x more events per month than Huntsville.
the verdict
4
Los Angeles
categories won
5
Huntsville
categories won
Huntsville wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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