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→St. Louis
St. Louis has the Arch (catenary curve and engineering marvel), Forest Park (bigger than Central Park and home to a free zoo, art museum, and history museum), and toasted ravioli, which was invented here. The Cardinals are a religion, the Hill neighborhood is wall-to-wall Italian red sauce, and Imo's makes pizza with Provel cheese that locals defend furiously. The skyline at sunset is underrated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,329/mo
$1,411/mo
$1,918/mo less than New York (136%)
Median home price
Median home price
$739k
$277k
$463k less than New York
State income tax
State income tax
10.7%
4.7%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,110/mo
$6,531/mo
St. Louis has $2,421/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
174 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
5 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
19 days
22 days
days below 20°F per year
New York and St. Louis have remarkably similar weather profiles overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
78 / 100
68 / 100
10.0 pts behind New York
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
215 routes
60 routes
155 fewer direct routes than New York
Metro size
Metro size
19.5M metro
2.8M metro
New York has 48.8x more events per month than St. Louis.
the verdict
2
New York
categories won
4
St. Louis
categories won
St. Louis wins on money. New York has the edge on lifestyle.
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