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→Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem is Moravian cookie traditions, old tobacco wealth (R.J. Reynolds), and Krispy Kreme's hometown (the original hot doughnut sign is still here). Old Salem is a living history Moravian village downtown. The food scene has picked up nicely, the arts scene leans on the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Slower-paced than its Triad neighbors. A little secret.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$1,508/mo
$1,391/mo less than Los Angeles (92%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$283k
$746k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$6,450/mo
Winston-Salem has $1,791/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
186 days
97 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
8 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
6 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 11 more days above 95°F each year than Winston-Salem. Winston-Salem drops below 20°F on 6 more days per year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
54 / 100
13.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
0 routes
150 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
696k metro
the verdict
4
Los Angeles
categories won
5
Winston-Salem
categories won
Winston-Salem wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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