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→Philadelphia
Philadelphia is cheesesteaks (the Pat's vs. Geno's argument is mostly theater), the Italian Market, and the Liberty Bell sitting modestly in a glass pavilion. Murals are everywhere (the city runs the largest public art program in the country). The Eagles fans climbing light poles is folklore for a reason. The food scene punches way above its weight and the bar scene knows it.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,869/mo
$1,030/mo less than Los Angeles (55%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$393k
$636k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
6.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$5,896/mo
Philadelphia has $1,237/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
173 days
110 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
21 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 17 more days above 95°F each year than Philadelphia. Philadelphia drops below 20°F on 21 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
122 routes
28 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
6.2M metro
Los Angeles has 1.9x more events per month than Philadelphia.
the verdict
3
Los Angeles
categories won
6
Philadelphia
categories won
Philadelphia wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
How far does your Los Angeles salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works