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→Knoxville
Knoxville is the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains (the most-visited national park in the country, 30 minutes east), the University of Tennessee's Vol energy, and the gold-roofed Sunsphere left over from the 1982 World's Fair. Market Square downtown is brick, patios, and a Saturday farmers market that takes over the whole space. The food and bar scene has come into its own. The mountains do the heavy lifting.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,731/mo
$1,168/mo less than Los Angeles (67%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$364k
$666k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,602/mo
Knoxville has $1,943/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
189 days
94 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
9 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 16 more days above 95°F each year than Knoxville. Knoxville drops below 20°F on 9 more days per year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
69 / 100
2.0 pts ahead of Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
17 routes
133 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
947k metro
Los Angeles has 8.3x more events per month than Knoxville.
the verdict
3
Los Angeles
categories won
6
Knoxville
categories won
Knoxville wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather.
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