01 · the cities
Sacramento
Sacramento is California's capital and California's pantry, sitting at the heart of one of the most productive farm regions on earth. The 'Farm to Fork' food movement isn't marketing here, it's just dinner. Two rivers meet downtown, summer afternoons are dry and hot enough to justify ice cream as a meal, and Tahoe is a two-hour drive when you need elevation. It's quieter than its big-city neighbors and likes it that way.
full dispatch→Knoxville
Knoxville is the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains (the most-visited national park in the country, 30 minutes east), the University of Tennessee's Vol energy, and the gold-roofed Sunsphere left over from the 1982 World's Fair. Market Square downtown is brick, patios, and a Saturday farmers market that takes over the whole space. The food and bar scene has come into its own. The mountains do the heavy lifting.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,226/mo
$1,731/mo
$495/mo less than Sacramento (29%)
Median home price
Median home price
$589k
$364k
$225k less than Sacramento
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,332/mo
$6,602/mo
Knoxville has $1,270/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
211 days
189 days
22 fewer than Sacramento
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
56 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
9 days
days below 20°F per year
Sacramento has 53 more days above 95°F each year than Knoxville. Knoxville drops below 20°F on 9 more days per year than Sacramento.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
69 / 100
6.0 pts behind Sacramento
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
28 routes
17 routes
11 fewer direct routes than Sacramento
Metro size
Metro size
2.4M metro
947k metro
Sacramento has 2.0x more events per month than Knoxville.
the verdict
4
Sacramento
categories won
5
Knoxville
categories won
Knoxville wins on money. Sacramento has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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