01 · the cities
Rochester
Rochester is the city that Kodak and Xerox built, with a quiet college-town soul (UofR, RIT, Eastman School of Music). The Garbage Plate (cheeseburger, mac salad, home fries, hot sauce, on one plate) is the closest thing to a citywide handshake. Frederick Douglass made his home here, and the Susan B. Anthony House is downtown. The Finger Lakes wine country is right next door.
full dispatch→Lincoln
Lincoln is the Nebraska state capital, home to the University of Nebraska, and on home-game Saturdays Memorial Stadium fills with over 85,000 fans (briefly making it the third-largest city in Nebraska). The state capitol is a striking 400-foot Art Deco tower visible from miles away. The Haymarket district downtown has the food and bar scene. Friendly, affordable, and prettier than its prairie reputation suggests.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,534/mo
$1,311/mo
$223/mo less than Rochester (17%)
Median home price
Median home price
$273k
$302k
$29k more than Rochester
State income tax
State income tax
5.9%
5.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,312/mo
$6,536/mo
Lincoln has $224/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
147 days
152 days
5 more than Rochester
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
13 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
48 days
48 days
days below 20°F per year
Lincoln has 12 more days above 95°F each year than Rochester.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
58 / 100
53 / 100
5.0 pts behind Rochester
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
18 routes
3 routes
15 fewer direct routes than Rochester
Metro size
Metro size
1.1M metro
344k metro
Rochester has 1.2x more events per month than Lincoln.
the verdict
4
Rochester
categories won
4
Lincoln
categories won
Rochester wins on lifestyle, Lincoln wins on money. Dead even.
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