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→New Haven
New Haven invented apizza (that's a-PEETS, the local New Haven Italian style), and Frank Pepe's claims the white clam pie as their original. Yale anchors the city with its Gothic spires and museums (the Yale University Art Gallery is free and exceptional). The Long Island Sound is right there, and the city's a 90-minute train ride to Grand Central. Pizza-pilgrimage worthy on its own.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,813/mo
$2,089/mo
$724/mo less than Salinas (35%)
Median home price
Median home price
$862k
$424k
$438k less than Salinas
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,745/mo
$5,786/mo
New Haven has $1,041/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
155 days
180 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
40 days
days below 20°F per year
New Haven drops below 20°F on 40 more days per year than Salinas.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
67 / 100
4.0 pts behind Salinas
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
6 routes
1 routes
5 fewer direct routes than Salinas
Metro size
Metro size
431k metro
568k metro
the verdict
4
Salinas
categories won
4
New Haven
categories won
Salinas wins on weather and lifestyle, New Haven wins on money. Dead even.
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