01 · the cities
Louisville
Louisville is bourbon, the Derby, Muhammad Ali, and the Hot Brown sandwich (an open-faced turkey-and-cheese situation invented at the Brown Hotel). Derby week is a citywide event where people dress like they're at a wedding for a horse. The Highlands neighborhood has the best dive bars, the Urban Bourbon Trail downtown takes a full weekend. Pronounce it 'Loo-uh-vul' and you'll fit in.
full dispatch→Columbia
Columbia is the South Carolina capital, USC Gamecock country, and home to one of the largest urban rivers (the Congaree) flowing right past downtown. The Saluda River outside town is a tubing destination locals swear by, and Congaree National Park's old-growth cypress is a 30-minute drive. The state museum is a sleeper good time. Slower-paced than Charleston, less touristy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,368/mo
$1,551/mo
$183/mo more than Louisville (12%)
Median home price
Median home price
$282k
$255k
$27k less than Louisville
State income tax
State income tax
4.5%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,590/mo
$6,241/mo
Louisville has $349/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
181 days
189 days
8 more than Louisville
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
27 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
15 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Columbia has 26 more days above 95°F each year than Louisville. Louisville drops below 20°F on 13 more days per year than Columbia.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
54 / 100
55 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
22 routes
10 routes
12 fewer direct routes than Louisville
Metro size
Metro size
1.4M metro
857k metro
Louisville has 4.8x more events per month than Columbia.
the verdict
5
Louisville
categories won
3
Columbia
categories won
Louisville wins on money and lifestyle. Columbia has the edge on weather.
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