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→Kansas City
Kansas City is barbecue (burnt ends are a local invention), jazz (the 18th and Vine district fed Charlie Parker and Count Basie), and fountains everywhere you turn. The city straddles two states and doesn't make a big deal out of it. The Plaza shopping district looks like Seville, which is delightfully odd for the Midwest. Friendly here means genuinely friendly.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,502/mo
$1,397/mo less than Los Angeles (93%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$326k
$703k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.7%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,440/mo
Kansas City has $1,781/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
170 days
113 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
8 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
26 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 11 more days above 95°F each year than Kansas City. Kansas City drops below 20°F on 26 more days per year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
56 / 100
11.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
43 routes
107 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
2.2M metro
Los Angeles has 4.1x more events per month than Kansas City.
the verdict
4
Los Angeles
categories won
5
Kansas City
categories won
Kansas City wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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