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→Cleveland
Cleveland is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the West Side Market's 100+ years of pierogies and bratwurst, and Lake Erie sunsets that put the coastal hype to shame. The Cuyahoga River caught fire so many times it inspired the Clean Water Act. The Cleveland Orchestra is consistently ranked among the world's best. Summers on the lake are gorgeous, and the food scene is having a real moment.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,813/mo
$1,419/mo
$1,394/mo less than Salinas (98%)
Median home price
Median home price
$862k
$252k
$610k less than Salinas
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,745/mo
$6,582/mo
Cleveland has $1,837/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
159 days
176 fewer than Salinas
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
27 days
days below 20°F per year
Cleveland drops below 20°F on 27 more days per year than Salinas.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
63 / 100
8.0 pts behind Salinas
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
6 routes
56 routes
50 more direct routes than Salinas
Metro size
Metro size
431k metro
2.2M metro
the verdict
3
Salinas
categories won
5
Cleveland
categories won
Cleveland wins on money. Salinas has the edge on weather.
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