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→Reading
Reading is the Pagoda lit up on Mount Penn (a Japanese-style pavilion built in 1908 that's become the city symbol), old factory bones, and the surrounding Berks County farmland. The downtown food and art scene is growing into the old factory bones, with breweries and galleries opening steadily. Pretzels, scrapple, and Pennsylvania Dutch baking are everywhere. Cheaper than nearby Lancaster.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,478/mo
$1,421/mo less than Los Angeles (96%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$311k
$719k 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
$6,600/mo
Reading has $1,941/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
157 days
126 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
32 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 17 more days above 95°F each year than Reading. Reading drops below 20°F on 32 more days per year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
65 / 100
2.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
0 routes
150 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
433k metro
Los Angeles has 12.0x more events per month than Reading.
the verdict
4
Los Angeles
categories won
5
Reading
categories won
Reading wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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