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→Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the Pennsylvania state capital sitting on the Susquehanna River, with a gorgeous Beaux-Arts capitol building (Theodore Roosevelt called it the handsomest building he ever saw). City Island in the middle of the river is a small park with minor league baseball. Hershey is 15 minutes east (yes, that Hershey). Slower-paced than its metro neighbors.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,813/mo
$1,446/mo
$1,367/mo less than Salinas (95%)
Median home price
Median home price
$862k
$309k
$553k less than Salinas
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,745/mo
$6,632/mo
Harrisburg has $1,887/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
152 days
183 fewer than Salinas
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
33 days
days below 20°F per year
Harrisburg drops below 20°F on 33 more days per year than Salinas.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
69 / 100
2.0 pts behind Salinas
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
6 routes
12 routes
6 more direct routes than Salinas
Metro size
Metro size
431k metro
606k metro
the verdict
3
Salinas
categories won
5
Harrisburg
categories won
Harrisburg wins on money. Salinas has the edge on weather.
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