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→Indianapolis
Indianapolis circles its downtown with a literal loop (the Mile Square) and hosts the Indy 500 every Memorial Day weekend like clockwork. Basketball is woven into the state DNA (Hoosiers, the movie, is essentially a documentary). The Cultural Trail connects six districts on bike-friendly paths through the heart of downtown. The food scene has quietly leveled up.
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
$296k
$269k less than Miami
State income tax
State income tax
0%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,668/mo
$6,572/mo
Indianapolis has $904/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
174 days
98 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
30 days
days below 20°F per year
Indianapolis drops below 20°F on 30 more days per year than Miami.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
77 / 100
62 / 100
15.0 pts behind Miami
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
167 routes
35 routes
132 fewer direct routes than Miami
Metro size
Metro size
6.2M metro
2.1M metro
Miami has 11.1x more events per month than Indianapolis.
the verdict
5
Miami
categories won
3
Indianapolis
categories won
Miami wins on weather and lifestyle. Indianapolis has the edge on money.
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