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→Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor is the University of Michigan, with the Big House (Michigan Stadium) holding over 107,000 people on football Saturdays, making it briefly the third-largest city in Michigan. Downtown is tree-lined brick streets, great independent bookstores, and a food scene with strong Middle Eastern and Korean energy. Zingerman's Deli is a national pilgrimage. The Huron River runs through. College town energy at its best.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$2,082/mo
$808/mo less than San Diego (39%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$429k
$581k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$5,897/mo
Ann Arbor has $1,229/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
154 days
178 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
51 days
days below 20°F per year
Ann Arbor drops below 20°F on 51 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
56 / 100
19.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
135 routes
80 more direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
366k metro
San Diego has 12.4x more events per month than Ann Arbor.
the verdict
3
San Diego
categories won
5
Ann Arbor
categories won
Ann Arbor wins on money. San Diego has the edge on weather.
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