01 · the cities
Mobile
Mobile threw the first Mardi Gras in America (1703, predating New Orleans), and the city still celebrates it with the same parade-and-moon-pie energy. The historic district has wrought-iron balconies and live oaks dripping Spanish moss. Mobile Bay seafood (especially fried shrimp and crab claws) is the local star. It's Gulf Coast, French-Spanish-British-Creole layered, and chiller than its bigger neighbors.
full dispatch→Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach has hard-packed sand you can actually drive your car on (yes, on the beach, it's a tradition). The Daytona 500 brings NASCAR to town every February and shakes the whole city awake. Bike Week is its own beast. Outside of the events, it's a quieter Florida beach town than its reputation suggests, with affordable oceanfront and the Halifax River making the geography interesting.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,302/mo
$1,784/mo
$482/mo more than Mobile (27%)
Median home price
Median home price
$194k
$331k
$137k more than Mobile
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,615/mo
$6,549/mo
Mobile has $66/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
225 days
212 days
13 fewer than Mobile
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
3 days
11 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Daytona Beach has 8 more days above 95°F each year than Mobile.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
59 / 100
63 / 100
4.0 pts ahead of Mobile
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
5 routes
2 routes
3 fewer direct routes than Mobile
Metro size
Metro size
412k metro
722k metro
Mobile has 1.7x more events per month than Daytona Beach.
the verdict
6
Mobile
categories won
2
Daytona Beach
categories won
Mobile leads on money and weather and wins overall.
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