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→Springfield
Springfield is the birthplace of Route 66 (the road was officially named in a meeting here in 1926), Bass Pro Shops' world headquarters, and the gateway to the Ozarks. Wonders of Wildlife (next to the Bass Pro store) is genuinely one of the best aquariums in America. The city itself is friendly, affordable, and surprisingly leafy. Branson is 30 miles south for the lake-and-show experience.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,249/mo
$1,650/mo less than Los Angeles (132%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$268k
$761k 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
$6,693/mo
Springfield has $2,034/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
170 days
113 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
12 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
20 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 7 more days above 95°F each year than Springfield. Springfield drops below 20°F on 20 more days per year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
50 / 100
17.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
9 routes
141 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
491k metro
Los Angeles has 21.8x more events per month than Springfield.
the verdict
4
Los Angeles
categories won
5
Springfield
categories won
Springfield wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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