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 Ohio State on autumn Saturdays (the Horseshoe holds 100,000+ and they all wear scarlet), German Village's cobblestone streets and brick cottages, and a Short North gallery scene that punches well above its weight. It's quietly become a test market for the rest of America because the demographics line up so neatly. The food scene leans young, weird, and good. 'Buckeyes' here can mean either the football team or the chocolate-peanut-butter candy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,511/mo
$1,379/mo less than San Diego (91%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$350k
$661k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,490/mo
Columbus has $1,822/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
171 days
161 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
29 days
days below 20°F per year
Columbus drops below 20°F on 29 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
57 / 100
18.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
32 routes
23 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
2.2M metro
San Diego has 1.5x 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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