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→Columbus
Columbus is on the Chattahoochee River, with the longest urban whitewater course in the world (since 2013) running right through downtown for rafting and surfing waves. Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning) is the city's anchor. The Riverwalk stretches for miles. The downtown has come back nicely with restaurants and breweries. Smaller and friendlier than the city's industrial reputation suggests.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,264/mo
$1,626/mo less than San Diego (129%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$208k
$803k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,612/mo
Columbus has $1,944/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
177 days
155 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
39 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Columbus has 39 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
47 / 100
28.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
1 routes
54 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
329k metro
San Diego has 7.6x more events per month than Columbus.
the verdict
4
San Diego
categories won
4
Columbus
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle, Columbus wins on money. Dead even.
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