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→Salem
Salem is the Oregon state capital, smaller and quieter than Portland (less than an hour north), with the Willamette River running through downtown and the surrounding Willamette Valley producing some of the best Pinot Noir in the world. The state capitol is topped by a gold-leaf pioneer statue. Cherry blossoms line the riverfront every spring. Affordable and underrated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,642/mo
$1,257/mo less than Los Angeles (77%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$452k
$577k 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
$5,962/mo
Salem has $1,303/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
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 17 more days above 95°F each year than Salem.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
69 / 100
2.0 pts ahead of Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
0 routes
150 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
437k metro
Los Angeles has 348.0x more events per month than Salem.
the verdict
2
Los Angeles
categories won
6
Salem
categories won
Salem leads on money and wins overall.
run your numbers
How far does your Los Angeles salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works