01 · the cities
Olympia
Olympia is the Washington state capital, much smaller and chiller than Seattle. Evergreen State College gives it a hippie-anarchist energy (the riot grrrl music movement essentially started here, with Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney's name coming from a local road). The capitol dome is one of the tallest in the country. Puget Sound oysters are the regional star. Mossy, mellow, and underrated.
full dispatch→Baltimore
Baltimore is steamed crabs with Old Bay, the Inner Harbor at golden hour, and row houses with painted screens. Edgar Allan Poe is buried here, John Waters still lives here, and Cal Ripken Jr. is a saint. The seafood is genuinely some of the best on the east coast. The neighborhoods (Fells Point, Hampden, Federal Hill) each feel like their own small town.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,991/mo
$1,868/mo
$123/mo less than Olympia (7%)
Median home price
Median home price
$533k
$412k
$121k less than Olympia
State income tax
State income tax
0%
8.2%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,342/mo
$5,782/mo
Olympia has $560/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
182 days
168 days
14 fewer than Olympia
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
4 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
2 days
21 days
days below 20°F per year
Baltimore drops below 20°F on 19 more days per year than Olympia.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
80 / 100
66 / 100
14.0 pts behind Olympia
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
90 routes
72 routes
18 fewer direct routes than Olympia
Metro size
Metro size
299k metro
2.8M metro
the verdict
6
Olympia
categories won
2
Baltimore
categories won
Olympia leads on weather and lifestyle and wins overall.
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