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→Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City sits in a bowl of mountains so close you can be at a ski lift in 30 minutes. The grid is laid out from Temple Square in clean numbered streets that make navigation almost too easy. The Great Salt Lake glints west, the Wasatch towers east, and the city itself has loosened up into a real food and bar scene in the last decade. The powder really is that light.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,608/mo
$1,291/mo less than Los Angeles (80%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$584k
$446k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.7%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,338/mo
Salt Lake City has $1,679/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
168 days
115 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
23 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
33 days
days below 20°F per year
Salt Lake City drops below 20°F on 33 more days per year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
78 / 100
11.0 pts ahead of Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
90 routes
60 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
1.3M metro
Los Angeles has 5.6x more events per month than Salt Lake City.
the verdict
3
Los Angeles
categories won
5
Salt Lake City
categories won
Salt Lake City wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather.
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