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→Philadelphia
Philadelphia is cheesesteaks (the Pat's vs. Geno's argument is mostly theater), the Italian Market, and the Liberty Bell sitting modestly in a glass pavilion. Murals are everywhere (the city runs the largest public art program in the country). The Eagles fans climbing light poles is folklore for a reason. The food scene punches way above its weight and the bar scene knows it.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,991/mo
$1,869/mo
$122/mo less than Olympia (7%)
Median home price
Median home price
$533k
$393k
$139k less than Olympia
State income tax
State income tax
0%
6.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,342/mo
$5,896/mo
Olympia has $446/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
173 days
9 fewer than Olympia
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
2 days
21 days
days below 20°F per year
Philadelphia drops below 20°F on 19 more days per year than Olympia.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
80 / 100
69 / 100
11.0 pts behind Olympia
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
90 routes
122 routes
32 more direct routes than Olympia
Metro size
Metro size
299k metro
6.2M metro
the verdict
5
Olympia
categories won
3
Philadelphia
categories won
Olympia leads on weather and wins overall.
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