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→Springfield
Springfield is where basketball was invented in 1891 (the Basketball Hall of Fame is right here), and where Dr. Seuss grew up (there's a sculpture garden downtown). The city's old industrial buildings are slowly coming back, and the surrounding Pioneer Valley is one of the prettiest stretches in New England. UMass is just up the road. Quieter than Boston, much cheaper.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,813/mo
$1,913/mo
$900/mo less than Salinas (47%)
Median home price
Median home price
$862k
$373k
$489k less than Salinas
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,745/mo
$6,004/mo
Springfield has $1,259/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
147 days
188 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
47 days
days below 20°F per year
Springfield drops below 20°F on 47 more days per year than Salinas.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
66 / 100
5.0 pts behind Salinas
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
6 routes
26 routes
20 more direct routes than Salinas
Metro size
Metro size
431k metro
460k metro
the verdict
3
Salinas
categories won
5
Springfield
categories won
Springfield wins on money. Salinas has the edge on weather.
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