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→Olympia
Olympia is the Washington state capital, much smaller and chiller than Seattle. Evergreen State College gives it a hippie-anarchist energy (the riot grrrl music movement essentially started here, with Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney's name coming from a local road). The capitol dome is one of the tallest in the country. Puget Sound oysters are the regional star. Mossy, mellow, and underrated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,991/mo
$908/mo less than Los Angeles (46%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$533k
$497k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,342/mo
Olympia has $1,683/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
182 days
101 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 19 more days above 95°F each year than Olympia.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
80 / 100
13.0 pts ahead of Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
90 routes
60 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
299k metro
the verdict
2
Los Angeles
categories won
6
Olympia
categories won
Olympia leads on money and wins overall.
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