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→South Bend
South Bend is Notre Dame, the Golden Dome, and the Touchdown Jesus mural visible from the football stadium. The St. Joseph River runs through downtown, and the East Bank district has the food and bar scene. The University of Notre Dame campus is genuinely beautiful (the basilica, the lakes, the grottos). Smaller than its national reputation suggests, with a steady college-town pulse.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,665/mo
$1,391/mo
$1,274/mo less than Miami (92%)
Median home price
Median home price
$565k
$230k
$334k less than Miami
State income tax
State income tax
0%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,668/mo
$6,692/mo
South Bend has $1,024/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
157 days
115 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
40 days
days below 20°F per year
South Bend drops below 20°F on 40 more days per year than Miami.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
77 / 100
53 / 100
24.0 pts behind Miami
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
167 routes
9 routes
158 fewer direct routes than Miami
Metro size
Metro size
6.2M metro
324k metro
Miami has 58.0x more events per month than South Bend.
the verdict
5
Miami
categories won
3
South Bend
categories won
Miami wins on weather and lifestyle. South Bend has the edge on money.
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