01 · the cities
Oxnard
Oxnard is California's strawberry capital, where the fields literally run up to the beach. Channel Islands Harbor is a quiet alternative to the busier Ventura and Santa Barbara, with great seafood and a chill Mexican food scene. The weather is the perfect 65-and-overcast that locals call 'June gloom' for most of summer. The Channel Islands themselves are a ferry ride away.
full dispatch→Columbia
Columbia is the South Carolina capital, USC Gamecock country, and home to one of the largest urban rivers (the Congaree) flowing right past downtown. The Saluda River outside town is a tubing destination locals swear by, and Congaree National Park's old-growth cypress is a 30-minute drive. The state museum is a sleeper good time. Slower-paced than Charleston, less touristy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,995/mo
$1,551/mo
$1,444/mo less than Oxnard (93%)
Median home price
Median home price
$923k
$255k
$668k less than Oxnard
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,563/mo
$6,241/mo
Columbia has $1,678/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
342 days
189 days
153 fewer than Oxnard
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
27 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Columbia has 27 more days above 95°F each year than Oxnard.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
74 / 100
55 / 100
19.0 pts behind Oxnard
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
0 routes
10 routes
10 more direct routes than Oxnard
Metro size
Metro size
830k metro
857k metro
Oxnard has 1.3x more events per month than Columbia.
the verdict
3
Oxnard
categories won
5
Columbia
categories won
Columbia wins on money. Oxnard has the edge on weather.
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