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→Orlando
Orlando is theme parks plus lake-dotted residential neighborhoods, a surprisingly good food scene, and one of the fastest-growing tech hubs in the south. Winter Park is a charming brick-street pocket of art and brunch. The summer afternoon thunderstorms roll in at 3pm like clockwork. There's a swamp boardwalk within 15 minutes of wherever you are.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,813/mo
$1,937/mo
$876/mo less than Salinas (45%)
Median home price
Median home price
$862k
$402k
$459k less than Salinas
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,745/mo
$6,396/mo
Orlando has $1,651/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
216 days
119 fewer than Salinas
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
10 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Orlando has 10 more days above 95°F each year than Salinas.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
62 / 100
9.0 pts behind Salinas
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
6 routes
146 routes
140 more direct routes than Salinas
Metro size
Metro size
431k metro
2.8M metro
the verdict
3
Salinas
categories won
5
Orlando
categories won
Orlando wins on money. Salinas has the edge on weather.
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