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→Chicago
Chicago is deep-dish for tourists, thin-crust tavern style for locals, and a hot dog that absolutely will not have ketchup on it. The L rumbles overhead, the lakefront stretches for 18 unbroken miles of beach and trail, and the architecture boat tour is the single best $50 you'll spend. Summer in Chicago might be the best summer in America. The improv comedy gene pool is unmatched.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,665/mo
$2,170/mo
$495/mo less than Miami (23%)
Median home price
Median home price
$565k
$365k
$200k less than Miami
State income tax
State income tax
0%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,668/mo
$5,751/mo
Chicago has $83/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
153 days
119 fewer than Miami
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
38 days
days below 20°F per year
Chicago drops below 20°F on 38 more days per year than Miami.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
77 / 100
70 / 100
7.0 pts behind Miami
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
167 routes
217 routes
50 more direct routes than Miami
Metro size
Metro size
6.2M metro
9.3M metro
Miami has 1.3x fewer events per month than Chicago.
the verdict
4
Miami
categories won
4
Chicago
categories won
Miami wins on weather, Chicago wins on money. Dead even.
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