01 · the cities
Miami
Miami is Spanish before it's English, salsa before it's small talk, and a cortadito before it's a coffee. South Beach Art Deco glows pink at night, Wynwood is a city-sized mural, and the Cuban sandwiches in Little Havana could end fights. Summer is bath-warm ocean and ceiling fans turned up high, and October feels like everywhere else's perfect August. Bring linen.
full dispatch→Chattanooga
Chattanooga became the first city in the country to roll out gigabit fiber internet to every home (2010, via the municipal utility), which jump-started a tech and remote-work scene. Lookout Mountain rises right above town, with Ruby Falls' underground waterfall and Rock City's epic views. The Tennessee Riverwalk is gorgeous. The Choo Choo (old terminal turned hotel) is a fun stay.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,665/mo
$1,524/mo
$1,141/mo less than Miami (75%)
Median home price
Median home price
$565k
$322k
$242k less than Miami
State income tax
State income tax
0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,668/mo
$6,809/mo
Chattanooga has $1,141/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
272 days
167 days
105 fewer than Miami
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
16 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
5 days
days below 20°F per year
Chattanooga has 16 more days above 95°F each year than Miami. Chattanooga drops below 20°F on 5 more days per year than Miami.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
77 / 100
69 / 100
8.0 pts behind Miami
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
167 routes
8 routes
159 fewer direct routes than Miami
Metro size
Metro size
6.2M metro
580k metro
Miami has 42.9x more events per month than Chattanooga.
the verdict
5
Miami
categories won
3
Chattanooga
categories won
Miami wins on weather and lifestyle. Chattanooga has the edge on money.
run your numbers
How far does your Miami salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works