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→Hagerstown
Hagerstown is the Hub City of western Maryland, where rail lines and highways converge in the Cumberland Valley. The downtown has a small but charming historic core. Antietam Battlefield is 30 minutes south, with some of the most affecting Civil War landscape in the country. The Appalachian Trail crosses just to the west. Quiet, with serious history nearby.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,813/mo
$1,587/mo
$1,226/mo less than Salinas (77%)
Median home price
Median home price
$862k
$321k
$541k less than Salinas
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
8.2%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,745/mo
$6,063/mo
Hagerstown has $1,318/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
160 days
175 fewer than Salinas
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
6 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
24 days
days below 20°F per year
Hagerstown has 6 more days above 95°F each year than Salinas. Hagerstown drops below 20°F on 24 more days per year than Salinas.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
56 / 100
15.0 pts behind Salinas
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
6 routes
2 routes
4 fewer direct routes than Salinas
Metro size
Metro size
431k metro
305k metro
the verdict
5
Salinas
categories won
4
Hagerstown
categories won
Salinas wins on weather and lifestyle. Hagerstown has the edge on money.
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