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→Lakeland
Lakeland has the largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world, on the Florida Southern College campus (designed in the 1940s, all skylights and copper). The city sits between Tampa and Orlando, with actual swans patrolling its namesake downtown lake (the city even has a swan management program). Publix is headquartered here, which Floridians treat as a point of pride.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,834/mo
$1,065/mo less than Los Angeles (58%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$301k
$728k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,499/mo
Lakeland has $1,840/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
206 days
77 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
13 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 6 more days above 95°F each year than Lakeland.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
48 / 100
19.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
68 routes
82 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
818k metro
Los Angeles has 29.0x more events per month than Lakeland.
the verdict
3
Los Angeles
categories won
5
Lakeland
categories won
Lakeland wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on lifestyle.
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