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→Lafayette
Lafayette is the unofficial capital of Cajun country, with zydeco music spilling out of dance halls, crawfish boils that count as social events, and gumbo so dark and rich it should be served with a nap. Mardi Gras here is huge but more family-friendly than New Orleans. The food (boudin, etouffee, cracklins) is the main reason to be here. Friendly in a way that's hard to fake.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,332/mo
$1,567/mo less than Los Angeles (118%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$200k
$829k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,751/mo
Lafayette has $2,092/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
211 days
72 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
7 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 12 more days above 95°F each year than Lafayette.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
43 / 100
24.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
3 routes
147 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
414k metro
Los Angeles has 69.6x more events per month than Lafayette.
the verdict
3
Los Angeles
categories won
5
Lafayette
categories won
Lafayette wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on lifestyle.
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