01 · the cities
Portland
Portland is food carts, bridges, donuts shaped like Voodoo dolls, and a low-key obsession with doing things the hard, hand-made way. The 'Keep Portland Weird' bumper sticker is older than most of the influencers who quote it. Mt. Hood pops into view between buildings on clear mornings, and the bike infrastructure puts most American cities to shame. Coffee here is treated like wine.
full dispatch→Albuquerque
Albuquerque is green chile on everything, the Sandia Mountains turning pink at sunset (the name literally means watermelon), and the Balloon Fiesta in October when 500+ hot air balloons fill the sky. The old town adobes feel like the 1700s, the food fuses Native, Mexican, and Spanish in ways you won't get anywhere else. Breaking Bad fans will recognize half the city, and locals are good-natured about it.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,781/mo
$1,489/mo
$292/mo less than Portland (20%)
Median home price
Median home price
$562k
$351k
$211k less than Portland
State income tax
State income tax
8.8%
5.9%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,823/mo
$6,353/mo
Albuquerque has $530/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
178 days
205 days
27 more than Portland
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
7 days
34 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
2 days
6 days
days below 20°F per year
Albuquerque has 27 more days above 95°F each year than Portland.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
87 / 100
81 / 100
6.0 pts behind Portland
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
57 routes
23 routes
34 fewer direct routes than Portland
Metro size
Metro size
2.5M metro
924k metro
Portland has 2.9x more events per month than Albuquerque.
the verdict
3
Portland
categories won
5
Albuquerque
categories won
Albuquerque wins on money. Portland has the edge on lifestyle.
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