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→Omaha
Omaha is the steakhouse capital of the prairie, home to Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffett still eats at the same Dundee diner), and the Henry Doorly Zoo, which is consistently ranked among the best in the world. The Old Market downtown is brick-and-cobblestone charm. The Reuben sandwich claims to have been invented here, and the locals will fight you on it. Friendly to a fault.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,534/mo
$1,412/mo
$122/mo less than Rochester (9%)
Median home price
Median home price
$273k
$306k
$33k more than Rochester
State income tax
State income tax
5.9%
5.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,312/mo
$6,435/mo
Omaha has $123/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
145 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
11 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
48 days
53 days
days below 20°F per year
Omaha has 10 more days above 95°F each year than Rochester. Omaha drops below 20°F on 5 more days per year than Rochester.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
58 / 100
53 / 100
5.0 pts behind Rochester
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
18 routes
19 routes
Metro size
Metro size
1.1M metro
985k metro
Rochester has 2.1x fewer events per month than Omaha.
the verdict
4
Rochester
categories won
3
Omaha
categories won
Rochester wins on weather and lifestyle. Omaha has the edge on money.
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