01 · the cities
New York
New York is the city that refuses to take a nap. Five boroughs of bodegas, bagels, late-night dollar slices, and entire neighborhoods that switch languages every six blocks. The subway is a 472-station miracle that runs all night, and Central Park is the green lung that keeps Manhattan sane. You will spend more than you planned and love every minute of it.
full dispatch→Albuquerque
Albuquerque is green chile on everything, the Sandia Mountains turning pink at sunset (the name literally means watermelon), and the Balloon Fiesta in October when 500+ hot air balloons fill the sky. The old town adobes feel like the 1700s, the food fuses Native, Mexican, and Spanish in ways you won't get anywhere else. Breaking Bad fans will recognize half the city, and locals are good-natured about it.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,329/mo
$1,489/mo
$1,840/mo less than New York (124%)
Median home price
Median home price
$739k
$351k
$388k less than New York
State income tax
State income tax
10.7%
5.9%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,110/mo
$6,353/mo
Albuquerque has $2,243/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
171 days
205 days
34 more than New York
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
34 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
19 days
6 days
days below 20°F per year
Albuquerque has 33 more days above 95°F each year than New York. New York drops below 20°F on 13 more days per year than Albuquerque.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
78 / 100
81 / 100
3.0 pts ahead of New York
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
215 routes
23 routes
192 fewer direct routes than New York
Metro size
Metro size
19.5M metro
924k metro
New York has 93.0x more events per month than Albuquerque.
the verdict
2
New York
categories won
7
Albuquerque
categories won
Albuquerque leads on money and weather and wins overall.
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