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→Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge is LSU football, the Mississippi River bending past downtown, and the kind of food (gumbo, jambalaya, boudin, po'boys) that makes you want to lie down after lunch. The Louisiana state capitol is the tallest in the country, a 34-story Art Deco tower that looks more like a Manhattan office building. Cajun warmth runs through everything, with a slightly more buttoned-up daily pace than New Orleans.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,361/mo
$1,529/mo less than San Diego (112%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$250k
$760k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,722/mo
Baton Rouge has $2,054/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
187 days
145 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
25 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
Baton Rouge has 25 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
50 / 100
25.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
4 routes
51 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
874k metro
San Diego has 11.6x more events per month than Baton Rouge.
the verdict
4
San Diego
categories won
4
Baton Rouge
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle, Baton Rouge wins on money. Dead even.
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