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→Hickory
Hickory is North Carolina's furniture capital, with the Hickory Furniture Mart and the surrounding factories shaping the local economy. The downtown has come back nicely with breweries and a walkable feel. The Blue Ridge foothills start just outside town. Lake Hickory is right there for boating. Cheaper than the bigger NC cities, with mountain access an hour away.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,995/mo
$1,434/mo
$1,561/mo less than Oxnard (109%)
Median home price
Median home price
$923k
$268k
$655k less than Oxnard
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,563/mo
$6,524/mo
Hickory has $1,961/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
11 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
4 days
days below 20°F per year
Hickory has 11 more days above 95°F each year than Oxnard.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
74 / 100
64 / 100
10.0 pts behind Oxnard
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
0 routes
0 routes
Metro size
Metro size
830k metro
370k metro
Oxnard has 1.3x more events per month than Hickory.
the verdict
3
Oxnard
categories won
4
Hickory
categories won
Hickory wins on money. Oxnard has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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