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→Lansing
Lansing is the Michigan state capital, Michigan State (East Lansing is essentially a continuation), and old auto industry roots that have softened into a quieter mid-sized city. The Grand River curves through downtown. The Capitol building is one of the prettier state capitols you'll see. Cheap, friendly, and a quick drive to Lake Michigan beaches.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,665/mo
$1,259/mo
$1,406/mo less than Miami (112%)
Median home price
Median home price
$565k
$244k
$321k less than Miami
State income tax
State income tax
0%
4.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,668/mo
$6,720/mo
Lansing has $1,052/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
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
52 days
days below 20°F per year
Lansing drops below 20°F on 52 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
6 routes
161 fewer direct routes than Miami
Metro size
Metro size
6.2M metro
473k metro
Miami has 54.8x more events per month than Lansing.
the verdict
5
Miami
categories won
3
Lansing
categories won
Miami wins on weather and lifestyle. Lansing has the edge on money.
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