01 · the cities
Salinas
Salinas is the Salad Bowl of the World, where most of the country's leafy greens, strawberries, and broccoli come from. John Steinbeck grew up here and the National Steinbeck Center downtown is excellent. The Salinas Rodeo is a century-old summer event. The Monterey Bay is 20 minutes west, but the city itself is a working ag town with strong Mexican-American culture.
full dispatch→Birmingham
Birmingham was built on steel and reshaped by the civil rights movement, and you can feel both stories in the city. The Civil Rights Institute is essential, the food scene (Highlands Bar and Grill, Hot and Hot Fish Club, plenty more) is one of the most acclaimed in the South. The Vulcan statue, the largest cast-iron statue in the world, looks down on the city from Red Mountain. Younger than its reputation suggests.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,813/mo
$1,407/mo
$1,406/mo less than Salinas (100%)
Median home price
Median home price
$862k
$261k
$601k less than Salinas
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,745/mo
$6,510/mo
Birmingham has $1,765/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
335 days
171 days
164 fewer than Salinas
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
28 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
4 days
days below 20°F per year
Birmingham has 28 more days above 95°F each year than Salinas.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
61 / 100
10.0 pts behind Salinas
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
6 routes
20 routes
14 more direct routes than Salinas
Metro size
Metro size
431k metro
1.2M metro
the verdict
3
Salinas
categories won
5
Birmingham
categories won
Birmingham wins on money. Salinas has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
How far does your Salinas 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