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→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→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,995/mo
$1,991/mo
$1,004/mo less than Oxnard (50%)
Median home price
Median home price
$923k
$533k
$390k less than Oxnard
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,563/mo
$6,342/mo
Olympia has $1,779/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
182 days
160 fewer than Oxnard
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Oxnard edges ahead on pleasant days, but both cities have comparable comfort overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
74 / 100
80 / 100
6.0 pts ahead of Oxnard
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
0 routes
90 routes
90 more direct routes than Oxnard
Metro size
Metro size
830k metro
299k metro
the verdict
1
Oxnard
categories won
6
Olympia
categories won
Olympia wins this comparison, leading on money and lifestyle.
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