01 · the cities
San Diego
San Diego is the city most Californians secretly wish they lived in: 70°F, sunny, and a beach for every mood. Fish tacos are religion, Balboa Park is bigger than Central Park and packed with museums, and the craft beer scene is one of the best in the country. The zoo is world-famous and the burritos are aggressively underrated. Even the freeways feel relaxed here.
full dispatch→Allentown
Allentown is the heart of the Lehigh Valley, with old industrial bones turning into a quietly resilient mid-sized city. The Lehigh River runs past, the historic downtown has been steadily finding its footing with breweries and restaurants in the old buildings, and the surrounding farmland is gorgeous. It's an hour and change from both Philly and NYC. Cheaper than both, by a lot.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,809/mo
$1,081/mo less than San Diego (60%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$359k
$651k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,269/mo
Allentown has $1,601/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
332 days
157 days
175 fewer than San Diego
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
Allentown drops below 20°F on 32 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
73 / 100
2.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
9 routes
46 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
874k metro
San Diego has 6.4x more events per month than Allentown.
the verdict
4
San Diego
categories won
4
Allentown
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle, Allentown wins on money. Dead even.
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