01 · the cities
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City sits in a bowl of mountains so close you can be at a ski lift in 30 minutes. The grid is laid out from Temple Square in clean numbered streets that make navigation almost too easy. The Great Salt Lake glints west, the Wasatch towers east, and the city itself has loosened up into a real food and bar scene in the last decade. The powder really is that light.
full dispatch→Cincinnati
Cincinnati is chili served on spaghetti (Skyline and Gold Star will fight you about which is better), German heritage in Over-the-Rhine's beer halls, and a riverfront that looks straight across at Kentucky. OTR's brick warehouses have become one of the best urban revitalizations in the country. The Reds play in baseball's oldest professional city. Pronounce it correctly and the locals warm up fast.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,608/mo
$1,549/mo
$59/mo less than Salt Lake City (4%)
Median home price
Median home price
$584k
$316k
$268k less than Salt Lake City
State income tax
State income tax
4.7%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,338/mo
$6,452/mo
Cincinnati has $114/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
168 days
162 days
6 fewer than Salt Lake City
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
23 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
26 days
days below 20°F per year
Salt Lake City has 20 more days above 95°F each year than Cincinnati. Salt Lake City drops below 20°F on 7 more days per year than Cincinnati.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
78 / 100
72 / 100
6.0 pts behind Salt Lake City
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
90 routes
47 routes
43 fewer direct routes than Salt Lake City
Metro size
Metro size
1.3M metro
2.3M metro
Salt Lake City has 1.4x fewer events per month than Cincinnati.
the verdict
3
Salt Lake City
categories won
6
Cincinnati
categories won
Cincinnati wins on money and weather. Salt Lake City has the edge on lifestyle.
run your numbers
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