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→Worcester
Worcester (pronounced 'WOO-stuh', please) is triple-deckers, classic American diners (the city helped invent the diner), and a college-heavy student population (Clark, Holy Cross, WPI, and a dozen more). The smiley face was invented here in 1963. It's central Massachusetts' working-class anchor and quietly gaining a real food scene. Cheaper than Boston, an hour away when you need it.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,899/mo
$2,140/mo
$759/mo less than Los Angeles (35%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$486k
$544k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$5,777/mo
Worcester has $1,118/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
148 days
135 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
55 days
days below 20°F per year
Los Angeles has 18 more days above 95°F each year than Worcester. Worcester drops below 20°F on 55 more days per year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
59 / 100
8.0 pts behind Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
2 routes
148 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
867k metro
Los Angeles has 11.6x more events per month than Worcester.
the verdict
4
Los Angeles
categories won
5
Worcester
categories won
Worcester wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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