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→Reading
Reading is the Pagoda lit up on Mount Penn (a Japanese-style pavilion built in 1908 that's become the city symbol), old factory bones, and the surrounding Berks County farmland. The downtown food and art scene is growing into the old factory bones, with breweries and galleries opening steadily. Pretzels, scrapple, and Pennsylvania Dutch baking are everywhere. Cheaper than nearby Lancaster.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,813/mo
$1,478/mo
$1,335/mo less than Salinas (90%)
Median home price
Median home price
$862k
$311k
$551k less than Salinas
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,745/mo
$6,600/mo
Reading has $1,855/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
157 days
178 fewer than Salinas
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
32 days
days below 20°F per year
Reading drops below 20°F on 32 more days per year than Salinas.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
65 / 100
6.0 pts behind Salinas
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
6 routes
0 routes
6 fewer direct routes than Salinas
Metro size
Metro size
431k metro
433k metro
the verdict
4
Salinas
categories won
4
Reading
categories won
Salinas wins on weather and lifestyle, Reading wins on money. Dead even.
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