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→Asheville
Asheville is what happens when a mountain town and an art school have a baby and raise it on craft beer. Downtown packs more breweries per capita than almost anywhere in America, plus buskers on every corner and Art Deco buildings the Depression accidentally preserved (the city went broke before it could tear them down). The Biltmore, America's largest private home, looms on the edge of town like a stone-carved flex. Remote workers keep showing up, which is how you know.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,738/mo
$1,152/mo less than San Diego (66%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$430k
$580k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,220/mo
Asheville has $1,552/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
201 days
131 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
13 days
days below 20°F per year
Asheville drops below 20°F on 13 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
66 / 100
9.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
8 routes
47 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
417k metro
San Diego has 5.0x more events per month than Asheville.
the verdict
4
San Diego
categories won
4
Asheville
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle, Asheville wins on money. Dead even.
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