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→Sacramento
Sacramento is California's capital and California's pantry, sitting at the heart of one of the most productive farm regions on earth. The 'Farm to Fork' food movement isn't marketing here, it's just dinner. Two rivers meet downtown, summer afternoons are dry and hot enough to justify ice cream as a meal, and Tahoe is a two-hour drive when you need elevation. It's quieter than its big-city neighbors and likes it that way.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$2,226/mo
$673/mo less than Los Angeles (30%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$589k
$440k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
9.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$5,332/mo
Sacramento has $673/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
211 days
72 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
56 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Sacramento has 37 more days above 95°F each year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
75 / 100
8.0 pts ahead of Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
28 routes
122 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
2.4M metro
Los Angeles has 4.1x more events per month than Sacramento.
the verdict
3
Los Angeles
categories won
4
Sacramento
categories won
Sacramento wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather.
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