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→Ocala
Ocala is the horse capital of the world (it actually has more thoroughbred horses than Lexington, Kentucky), with rolling hills of horse farms unlike anywhere else in Florida. Silver Springs (one of the largest artesian springs in the world) is right next door, with glass-bottom boats and clear blue water. Surprisingly hilly. Slower than the coastal cities, with a quietly strong equestrian economy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,665/mo
$1,616/mo
$1,049/mo less than Miami (65%)
Median home price
Median home price
$565k
$277k
$288k less than Miami
State income tax
State income tax
0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,668/mo
$6,717/mo
Ocala has $1,049/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
208 days
64 fewer than Miami
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
15 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Ocala has 15 more days above 95°F each year than Miami.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
77 / 100
62 / 100
15.0 pts behind Miami
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
167 routes
5 routes
162 fewer direct routes than Miami
Metro size
Metro size
6.2M metro
410k metro
Miami has 986.0x more events per month than Ocala.
the verdict
4
Miami
categories won
3
Ocala
categories won
Miami wins on weather and lifestyle. Ocala has the edge on money.
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