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→Columbus
Columbus is on the Chattahoochee River, with the longest urban whitewater course in the world (since 2013) running right through downtown for rafting and surfing waves. Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning) is the city's anchor. The Riverwalk stretches for miles. The downtown has come back nicely with restaurants and breweries. Smaller and friendlier than the city's industrial reputation suggests.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,665/mo
$1,264/mo
$1,401/mo less than Miami (111%)
Median home price
Median home price
$565k
$208k
$357k less than Miami
State income tax
State income tax
0%
5.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,668/mo
$6,612/mo
Columbus has $944/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
177 days
95 fewer than Miami
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
39 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Columbus has 39 more days above 95°F each year than Miami.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
77 / 100
47 / 100
30.0 pts behind Miami
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
167 routes
1 routes
166 fewer direct routes than Miami
Metro size
Metro size
6.2M metro
329k metro
Miami has 42.9x more events per month than Columbus.
the verdict
5
Miami
categories won
3
Columbus
categories won
Miami wins on weather and lifestyle. Columbus has the edge on money.
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