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→Clarksville
Clarksville is anchored by Fort Campbell (just across the Kentucky line, home of the 101st Airborne), with a growing downtown and the Cumberland River curving past. There's a quieter charm here, a strong military community, and quick access to Nashville (45 minutes south). Affordable, growing fast, and underrated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,337/mo
$1,553/mo less than San Diego (116%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$294k
$717k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,996/mo
Clarksville has $2,328/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
173 days
159 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
9 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
15 days
days below 20°F per year
Clarksville has 9 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego. Clarksville drops below 20°F on 15 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
51 / 100
24.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
47 routes
8 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
337k metro
San Diego has 87.0x more events per month than Clarksville.
the verdict
5
San Diego
categories won
4
Clarksville
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle. Clarksville has the edge on money.
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