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→Phoenix
Phoenix is sun, saguaros, and a valley so wide you can drive 45 minutes in a straight line and still be in greater Phoenix. The Sonoran Desert blooms wildly in spring, the monsoon storms in late summer are theatrical, and the hiking on Camelback or Piestewa Peak is a sunrise ritual. Pools and shaded patios are basically infrastructure, and the locals have the rhythm of a desert day dialed.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,995/mo
$1,739/mo
$1,256/mo less than Oxnard (72%)
Median home price
Median home price
$923k
$458k
$464k less than Oxnard
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
2.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,563/mo
$6,386/mo
Phoenix has $1,823/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
181 days
161 fewer than Oxnard
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
133 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Phoenix has 133 more days above 95°F each year than Oxnard.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
74 / 100
66 / 100
8.0 pts behind Oxnard
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
0 routes
91 routes
91 more direct routes than Oxnard
Metro size
Metro size
830k metro
5.1M metro
Oxnard has 8.3x fewer events per month than Phoenix.
the verdict
3
Oxnard
categories won
5
Phoenix
categories won
Phoenix wins on money. Oxnard has the edge on weather.
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