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→Lafayette
Lafayette is the unofficial capital of Cajun country, with zydeco music spilling out of dance halls, crawfish boils that count as social events, and gumbo so dark and rich it should be served with a nap. Mardi Gras here is huge but more family-friendly than New Orleans. The food (boudin, etouffee, cracklins) is the main reason to be here. Friendly in a way that's hard to fake.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,665/mo
$1,332/mo
$1,333/mo less than Miami (100%)
Median home price
Median home price
$565k
$200k
$364k less than Miami
State income tax
State income tax
0%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,668/mo
$6,751/mo
Lafayette has $1,083/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
211 days
61 fewer than Miami
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
7 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Lafayette has 7 more days above 95°F each year than Miami.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
77 / 100
43 / 100
34.0 pts behind Miami
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
167 routes
3 routes
164 fewer direct routes than Miami
Metro size
Metro size
6.2M metro
414k metro
Miami has 197.2x more events per month than Lafayette.
the verdict
5
Miami
categories won
3
Lafayette
categories won
Miami wins on weather and lifestyle. Lafayette has the edge on money.
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