01 · the cities
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is 22 lakes inside city limits, an extensive skyway system that lets you cross downtown in February without a coat, and a music legacy that runs from Prince to The Replacements. Summer is a glorious lake-jumping, ice-cream-licking festival. Winter is sauna-and-skate season, with rinks on every lake and cross-country trails stitched through the city. Walleye is on every menu.
full dispatch→Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City sits in a bowl of mountains so close you can be at a ski lift in 30 minutes. The grid is laid out from Temple Square in clean numbered streets that make navigation almost too easy. The Great Salt Lake glints west, the Wasatch towers east, and the city itself has loosened up into a real food and bar scene in the last decade. The powder really is that light.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,679/mo
$1,608/mo
$71/mo less than Minneapolis (4%)
Median home price
Median home price
$398k
$584k
$185k more than Minneapolis
State income tax
State income tax
7.8%
4.7%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,000/mo
$6,338/mo
Salt Lake City has $338/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
147 days
168 days
21 more than Minneapolis
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
23 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
84 days
33 days
days below 20°F per year
Salt Lake City has 22 more days above 95°F each year than Minneapolis. Minneapolis drops below 20°F on 51 more days per year than Salt Lake City.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
76 / 100
78 / 100
2.0 pts ahead of Minneapolis
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
130 routes
90 routes
40 fewer direct routes than Minneapolis
Metro size
Metro size
3.7M metro
1.3M metro
Minneapolis has 2.5x more events per month than Salt Lake City.
the verdict
3
Minneapolis
categories won
6
Salt Lake City
categories won
Salt Lake City leads on money and weather and wins overall.
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