01 · the cities
Roanoke
Roanoke is the Star City of the South, named for the enormous illuminated star on Mill Mountain that's been lighting up the valley since 1949. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs right past town. The downtown has come back beautifully with the Taubman Museum, breweries, and a thriving market. The surrounding mountains are gorgeous in every season. Smaller and more scenic than people expect.
full dispatch→El Paso
El Paso has the Franklin Mountains running right through the middle of the city (which is rare), with hiking trails inside city limits and the desert wide open just past the suburbs. The Mexican food is exceptional in ways that the rest of Texas doesn't quite match (it's true regional border food). Ciudad Juarez is literally next door across the Rio Grande. The light at sunset is unreal.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,382/mo
$1,473/mo
$91/mo more than Roanoke (6%)
Median home price
Median home price
$296k
$231k
$65k less than Roanoke
State income tax
State income tax
5.8%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,472/mo
$6,860/mo
El Paso has $388/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
179 days
222 days
43 more than Roanoke
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
60 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
21 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
El Paso has 58 more days above 95°F each year than Roanoke. Roanoke drops below 20°F on 20 more days per year than El Paso.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
65 / 100
4.0 pts behind Roanoke
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
9 routes
13 routes
4 more direct routes than Roanoke
Metro size
Metro size
314k metro
872k metro
Roanoke has 2.5x fewer events per month than El Paso.
the verdict
3
Roanoke
categories won
6
El Paso
categories won
El Paso leads on money and weather and wins overall.
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