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→San Antonio
San Antonio wraps the River Walk through downtown like a Venetian canal trail (much shorter, but lined with mariachi and margaritas). The Alamo sits in the middle of it all, the five Spanish missions are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the puffy tacos are unlike Tex-Mex anywhere else. Fiesta in April is essentially a 10-day citywide block party. It's bigger and prouder than outsiders expect.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,394/mo
$1,505/mo less than Los Angeles (108%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$280k
$749k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,939/mo
San Antonio has $2,280/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
167 days
116 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
59 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
San Antonio has 40 more days above 95°F each year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
49 / 100
18.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
35 routes
115 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
2.7M metro
Los Angeles has 3.1x more events per month than San Antonio.
the verdict
4
Los Angeles
categories won
4
San Antonio
categories won
Los Angeles wins on weather and lifestyle, San Antonio wins on money. Dead even.
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