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 Ohio State on autumn Saturdays (the Horseshoe holds 100,000+ and they all wear scarlet), German Village's cobblestone streets and brick cottages, and a Short North gallery scene that punches well above its weight. It's quietly become a test market for the rest of America because the demographics line up so neatly. The food scene leans young, weird, and good. 'Buckeyes' here can mean either the football team or the chocolate-peanut-butter candy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,665/mo
$1,511/mo
$1,154/mo less than Miami (76%)
Median home price
Median home price
$565k
$350k
$215k less than Miami
State income tax
State income tax
0%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,668/mo
$6,490/mo
Columbus has $822/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
171 days
101 fewer than Miami
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
29 days
days below 20°F per year
Columbus drops below 20°F on 29 more days per year than Miami.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
77 / 100
57 / 100
20.0 pts behind Miami
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
167 routes
32 routes
135 fewer direct routes than Miami
Metro size
Metro size
6.2M metro
2.2M metro
Miami has 8.5x 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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