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→Reno
Reno calls itself the Biggest Little City in the World and means it: casinos and neon, sure, but also a quietly cool downtown, a strong outdoor culture (Tahoe is 45 minutes south), and the Truckee River running right through the middle of everything. The University of Nevada keeps things young. Burning Man buses depart from here every August. Sunnier and drier than people expect.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,908/mo
$991/mo less than Los Angeles (52%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$574k
$455k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,425/mo
Reno has $1,766/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
201 days
82 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
4 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
28 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 15 more days above 95°F each year than Reno. Reno drops below 20°F on 28 more days per year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
71 / 100
4.0 pts ahead of Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
13 routes
137 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
565k metro
Los Angeles has 3.4x more events per month than Reno.
the verdict
3
Los Angeles
categories won
6
Reno
categories won
Reno wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather.
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