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→Worcester
Worcester (pronounced 'WOO-stuh', please) is triple-deckers, classic American diners (the city helped invent the diner), and a college-heavy student population (Clark, Holy Cross, WPI, and a dozen more). The smiley face was invented here in 1963. It's central Massachusetts' working-class anchor and quietly gaining a real food scene. Cheaper than Boston, an hour away when you need it.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,995/mo
$2,140/mo
$855/mo less than Oxnard (40%)
Median home price
Median home price
$923k
$486k
$437k less than Oxnard
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,563/mo
$5,777/mo
Worcester has $1,214/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
148 days
194 fewer than Oxnard
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
55 days
days below 20°F per year
Worcester drops below 20°F on 55 more days per year than Oxnard.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
74 / 100
59 / 100
15.0 pts behind Oxnard
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
0 routes
2 routes
Metro size
Metro size
830k metro
867k metro
Oxnard has 1.3x fewer events per month than Worcester.
the verdict
3
Oxnard
categories won
4
Worcester
categories won
Worcester wins on money. Oxnard has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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