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→Seattle
Seattle is coffee snobs, ferries crossing the sound, mountains in two directions, and misty mornings that make the espresso taste better. Pike Place still throws fish, the salmon is genuinely better here, and the Cascades sit right outside your window like a movie backdrop. The hippie greenmarket soul still runs through everything the tech money has built. Bring layers.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,665/mo
$2,193/mo
$472/mo less than Miami (22%)
Median home price
Median home price
$565k
$791k
$227k more than Miami
State income tax
State income tax
0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,668/mo
$6,140/mo
Seattle has $472/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
182 days
90 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
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Miami edges ahead on pleasant days, but both cities have comparable comfort overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
77 / 100
93 / 100
16.0 pts ahead of Miami
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
167 routes
90 routes
77 fewer direct routes than Miami
Metro size
Metro size
6.2M metro
4.0M metro
Miami has 3.9x more events per month than Seattle.
the verdict
3
Miami
categories won
3
Seattle
categories won
Miami wins on weather, Seattle wins on money. Dead even.
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