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→Honolulu
Honolulu is Waikiki's high-rises pressed against turquoise water, Diamond Head crater glowing pink at dawn, and plate lunches that mix Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Portuguese into one perfect styrofoam container. Surf the south shore in summer, the north in winter. The North Shore is a 45-minute drive into a totally different world. Aloha here is a way of moving through the day.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,329/mo
$2,843/mo
$486/mo less than New York (17%)
Median home price
Median home price
$739k
$1.1M
$322k more than New York
State income tax
State income tax
10.7%
11.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,110/mo
$4,574/mo
Honolulu has $464/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
316 days
145 more than New York
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
19 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
New York drops below 20°F on 19 more days per year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
78 / 100
55 / 100
23.0 pts behind New York
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
215 routes
51 routes
164 fewer direct routes than New York
Metro size
Metro size
19.5M metro
989k metro
New York has 41.1x more events per month than Honolulu.
the verdict
4
New York
categories won
4
Honolulu
categories won
New York wins on lifestyle, Honolulu wins on weather. Dead even.
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