01 · the cities
Salem
Salem is the Oregon state capital, smaller and quieter than Portland (less than an hour north), with the Willamette River running through downtown and the surrounding Willamette Valley producing some of the best Pinot Noir in the world. The state capitol is topped by a gold-leaf pioneer statue. Cherry blossoms line the riverfront every spring. Affordable and underrated.
full dispatch→Gainesville
Gainesville is the University of Florida, the Gators, and a college town with serious natural assets: 30+ named springs within an hour's drive, including Ginnie, Devil's Den, and Ichetucknee for tubing. The food scene is solid and cheap (it's still a college town), and downtown's grown up with breweries and music venues. Surrounded by oak forests and prairie. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers got their start here.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,642/mo
$1,645/mo
Median home price
Median home price
$452k
$317k
$136k less than Salem
State income tax
State income tax
8.8%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,962/mo
$6,688/mo
Gainesville has $726/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
201 days
206 days
5 more than Salem
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
17 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
1 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Gainesville has 15 more days above 95°F each year than Salem.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
63 / 100
6.0 pts behind Salem
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
0 routes
5 routes
5 more direct routes than Salem
Metro size
Metro size
437k metro
350k metro
Salem has 3.0x fewer events per month than Gainesville.
the verdict
2
Salem
categories won
5
Gainesville
categories won
Gainesville leads on money and wins overall.
run your numbers
How far does your Salem salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works