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→Chicago
Chicago is deep-dish for tourists, thin-crust tavern style for locals, and a hot dog that absolutely will not have ketchup on it. The L rumbles overhead, the lakefront stretches for 18 unbroken miles of beach and trail, and the architecture boat tour is the single best $50 you'll spend. Summer in Chicago might be the best summer in America. The improv comedy gene pool is unmatched.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$2,170/mo
$720/mo less than San Diego (33%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$365k
$646k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$5,751/mo
Chicago has $1,083/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
153 days
179 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
38 days
days below 20°F per year
Chicago drops below 20°F on 38 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
70 / 100
5.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
217 routes
162 more direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
9.3M metro
San Diego has 7.4x fewer events per month than Chicago.
the verdict
3
San Diego
categories won
5
Chicago
categories won
Chicago wins on money. San Diego has the edge on weather.
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