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→Wichita
Wichita is the Air Capital of the World, with Cessna, Beechcraft, and major Spirit AeroSystems facilities all here. The Arkansas River runs through downtown, and the Old Town district has brick streets, breweries, and the kind of friendly Kansas pace that makes the rest of the country envious. The flatness is real, and the sunsets are enormous because of it.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,813/mo
$1,173/mo
$1,640/mo less than Salinas (140%)
Median home price
Median home price
$862k
$221k
$640k less than Salinas
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.7%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,745/mo
$6,685/mo
Wichita has $1,940/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
164 days
171 fewer than Salinas
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
30 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
20 days
days below 20°F per year
Wichita has 30 more days above 95°F each year than Salinas. Wichita drops below 20°F on 20 more days per year than Salinas.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
52 / 100
19.0 pts behind Salinas
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
6 routes
11 routes
5 more direct routes than Salinas
Metro size
Metro size
431k metro
653k metro
the verdict
4
Salinas
categories won
5
Wichita
categories won
Wichita wins on money. Salinas has the edge on weather.
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