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→Chicago
Chicago is deep-dish for tourists, thin-crust tavern style for locals, and a hot dog that absolutely will not have ketchup on it. The L rumbles overhead, the lakefront stretches for 18 unbroken miles of beach and trail, and the architecture boat tour is the single best $50 you'll spend. Summer in Chicago might be the best summer in America. The improv comedy gene pool is unmatched.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,813/mo
$2,170/mo
$643/mo less than Salinas (30%)
Median home price
Median home price
$862k
$365k
$497k less than Salinas
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,745/mo
$5,751/mo
Chicago has $1,006/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
153 days
182 fewer than Salinas
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
38 days
days below 20°F per year
Chicago drops below 20°F on 38 more days per year than Salinas.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
70 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
6 routes
217 routes
211 more direct routes than Salinas
Metro size
Metro size
431k metro
9.3M metro
the verdict
2
Salinas
categories won
5
Chicago
categories won
Chicago wins on money and lifestyle. Salinas has the edge on weather.
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