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→Jacksonville
Jacksonville is the largest city in the continental U.S. by land area, which means everything is 20 minutes from everything else and most of those 20 minutes involve a bridge. The St. Johns River cuts the city in half, the beaches are a quick drive east, and the food scene leans seafood and surprisingly excellent BBQ. It's a Florida city without the theme-park vibe.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,679/mo
$1,220/mo less than Los Angeles (73%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$358k
$672k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,654/mo
Jacksonville has $1,995/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
198 days
85 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
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Jacksonville has 8 more days above 95°F each year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
64 / 100
3.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
26 routes
124 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
1.7M metro
Los Angeles has 6.7x more events per month than Jacksonville.
the verdict
4
Los Angeles
categories won
4
Jacksonville
categories won
Los Angeles wins on weather and lifestyle, Jacksonville wins on money. Dead even.
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