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→Port St. Lucie
Port St. Lucie is the New York Mets' spring training home, with golf courses, gated communities, and the slow Atlantic Coast pace that retirees love. It's one of the fastest-growing cities in the country in recent years. The Treasure Coast beaches are quieter and prettier than the bigger Florida metros. Suburban, sunny, and easy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,995/mo
$2,331/mo
$664/mo less than Oxnard (28%)
Median home price
Median home price
$923k
$397k
$526k less than Oxnard
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,563/mo
$6,002/mo
Port St. Lucie has $1,439/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
246 days
96 fewer than Oxnard
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 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
50 / 100
24.0 pts behind Oxnard
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
0 routes
23 routes
23 more direct routes than Oxnard
Metro size
Metro size
830k metro
537k metro
the verdict
2
Oxnard
categories won
5
Port St. Lucie
categories won
Port St. Lucie wins on money. Oxnard has the edge on weather.
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