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→Raleigh
Raleigh is the third leg of the Research Triangle, full of oaks (its nickname is the City of Oaks), state museums that are all free, and a downtown that's grown up fast without losing its quiet edges. NC State pumps young energy in, the food scene is sneaky-good, and the surrounding pine forests make summer evenings smell incredible. Beaches are two hours east, mountains three hours west.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,665/mo
$1,663/mo
$1,002/mo less than Miami (60%)
Median home price
Median home price
$565k
$440k
$124k less than Miami
State income tax
State income tax
0%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,668/mo
$6,295/mo
Raleigh has $627/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
201 days
71 fewer than Miami
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
5 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
3 days
days below 20°F per year
Raleigh has 5 more days above 95°F each year than Miami.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
77 / 100
58 / 100
19.0 pts behind Miami
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
167 routes
39 routes
128 fewer direct routes than Miami
Metro size
Metro size
6.2M metro
1.5M metro
Miami has 21.0x more events per month than Raleigh.
the verdict
5
Miami
categories won
3
Raleigh
categories won
Miami wins on weather and lifestyle. Raleigh has the edge on money.
run your numbers
How far does your Miami salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works