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→Portland
Portland is food carts, bridges, donuts shaped like Voodoo dolls, and a low-key obsession with doing things the hard, hand-made way. The 'Keep Portland Weird' bumper sticker is older than most of the influencers who quote it. Mt. Hood pops into view between buildings on clear mornings, and the bike infrastructure puts most American cities to shame. Coffee here is treated like wine.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,781/mo
$1,118/mo less than Los Angeles (63%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$562k
$467k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
8.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$5,823/mo
Portland has $1,164/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
178 days
105 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
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 12 more days above 95°F each year than Portland.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
87 / 100
20.0 pts ahead of Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
57 routes
93 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
2.5M metro
Los Angeles has 2.8x more events per month than Portland.
the verdict
2
Los Angeles
categories won
6
Portland
categories won
Portland leads on money and wins overall.
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