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→Kingsport
Kingsport is a planned 'model city' built by the Eastman Chemical Company in the early 1900s, with a downtown laid out in deliberate grids and the company still dominating the local economy. It's in the Tri-Cities area (with Bristol and Johnson City), tucked into the Appalachian foothills. Bays Mountain Park and the South Fork Holston River give it strong outdoor access. Quietly orderly.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,383/mo
$1,516/mo less than Los Angeles (110%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$244k
$785k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,950/mo
Kingsport has $2,291/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
188 days
95 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
15 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 18 more days above 95°F each year than Kingsport. Kingsport drops below 20°F on 15 more days per year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
59 / 100
8.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
4 routes
146 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
312k metro
Los Angeles has 43.5x more events per month than Kingsport.
the verdict
4
Los Angeles
categories won
5
Kingsport
categories won
Kingsport wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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