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→Lancaster
Lancaster is the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country, with horse-drawn buggies on rural roads and the Central Market (the oldest continuously operating farmers market in the country, since the 1730s). The food scene is sneaky-strong, the surrounding farmland is gorgeous, and the city's downtown has come back nicely. Whoopie pies, shoofly pies, and sticky buns are mandatory.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,517/mo
$1,382/mo less than Los Angeles (91%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$384k
$646k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,561/mo
Lancaster has $1,902/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
158 days
125 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
25 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 16 more days above 95°F each year than Lancaster. Lancaster drops below 20°F on 25 more days per year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
63 / 100
4.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
1 routes
149 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
559k metro
Los Angeles has 23.2x more events per month than Lancaster.
the verdict
4
Los Angeles
categories won
5
Lancaster
categories won
Lancaster wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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