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→Baltimore
Baltimore is steamed crabs with Old Bay, the Inner Harbor at golden hour, and row houses with painted screens. Edgar Allan Poe is buried here, John Waters still lives here, and Cal Ripken Jr. is a saint. The seafood is genuinely some of the best on the east coast. The neighborhoods (Fells Point, Hampden, Federal Hill) each feel like their own small town.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,868/mo
$1,022/mo less than San Diego (55%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$412k
$598k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
8.2%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$5,782/mo
Baltimore has $1,114/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
332 days
168 days
164 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
4 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
21 days
days below 20°F per year
Baltimore drops below 20°F on 21 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
72 routes
17 more direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
2.8M metro
San Diego has 2.6x more events per month than Baltimore.
the verdict
3
San Diego
categories won
5
Baltimore
categories won
Baltimore wins on money. San Diego has the edge on weather.
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