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→San Antonio
San Antonio wraps the River Walk through downtown like a Venetian canal trail (much shorter, but lined with mariachi and margaritas). The Alamo sits in the middle of it all, the five Spanish missions are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the puffy tacos are unlike Tex-Mex anywhere else. Fiesta in April is essentially a 10-day citywide block party. It's bigger and prouder than outsiders expect.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,329/mo
$1,394/mo
$1,935/mo less than New York (139%)
Median home price
Median home price
$739k
$280k
$459k less than New York
State income tax
State income tax
10.7%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,110/mo
$6,939/mo
San Antonio has $2,829/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
167 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
59 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
19 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
San Antonio has 58 more days above 95°F each year than New York. New York drops below 20°F on 19 more days per year than San Antonio.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
78 / 100
49 / 100
29.0 pts behind New York
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
215 routes
35 routes
180 fewer direct routes than New York
Metro size
Metro size
19.5M metro
2.7M metro
New York has 34.6x more events per month than San Antonio.
the verdict
3
New York
categories won
5
San Antonio
categories won
San Antonio wins on money. New York has the edge on lifestyle.
run your numbers
How far does your New York salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works