01 · the cities
Riverside
Riverside is where the navel orange got its start in America, with the parent tree from 1873 still alive and producing fruit on a downtown corner. The Mission Inn is a wildly ornate Spanish Revival hotel that hosts the country's biggest holiday lights festival. Riverside's downtown is genuinely walkable, with citrus groves still scattered through the foothills. Summers are dry and bright, with the foothills cooling the evenings.
full dispatch→Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach is a three-mile boardwalk, a giant Neptune statue keeping watch, and Atlantic surf that's warm in August and gentle in September. The military presence (Navy and Air Force) gives the city a structured, welcoming feel. False Cape and Back Bay nature areas are wild marshland just south of the high-rises. October on the boardwalk might be the prettiest month on the East Coast.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,493/mo
$1,819/mo
$674/mo less than Riverside (37%)
Median home price
Median home price
$595k
$375k
$220k less than Riverside
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,065/mo
$6,035/mo
Virginia Beach has $970/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
249 days
211 days
38 fewer than Riverside
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
47 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Riverside has 46 more days above 95°F each year than Virginia Beach.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
57 / 100
12.0 pts behind Riverside
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
14 routes
17 routes
3 more direct routes than Riverside
Metro size
Metro size
4.7M metro
1.8M metro
Riverside has 5.0x fewer events per month than Virginia Beach.
the verdict
2
Riverside
categories won
6
Virginia Beach
categories won
Virginia Beach leads on money and wins overall.
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