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→Rochester
Rochester is the city that Kodak and Xerox built, with a quiet college-town soul (UofR, RIT, Eastman School of Music). The Garbage Plate (cheeseburger, mac salad, home fries, hot sauce, on one plate) is the closest thing to a citywide handshake. Frederick Douglass made his home here, and the Susan B. Anthony House is downtown. The Finger Lakes wine country is right next door.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,534/mo
$1,365/mo less than Los Angeles (89%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$273k
$756k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.9%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,312/mo
Rochester has $1,653/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
147 days
136 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
48 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 18 more days above 95°F each year than Rochester. Rochester drops below 20°F on 48 more days per year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
58 / 100
9.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
18 routes
132 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
1.1M metro
Los Angeles has 11.6x more events per month than Rochester.
the verdict
4
Los Angeles
categories won
5
Rochester
categories won
Rochester wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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