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→Denver
Denver is a mile above sea level, an hour from a dozen ski resorts, and surrounded by mountains that make every west-facing window feel like a vacation. The air is dry, the sun shows up roughly 300 days a year, and craft beer is taken seriously enough to have its own annual pilgrimage (the Great American Beer Festival). Green chile is a hill people will die on. The patio season is essentially eternal.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,863/mo
$1,027/mo less than San Diego (55%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$599k
$411k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.4%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,104/mo
Denver has $1,436/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
174 days
158 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
8 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
66 days
days below 20°F per year
Denver has 8 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego. Denver drops below 20°F on 66 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
85 / 100
10.0 pts ahead of San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
169 routes
114 more direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
3.0M metro
San Diego has 2.6x fewer events per month than Denver.
the verdict
3
San Diego
categories won
6
Denver
categories won
Denver wins on money and lifestyle. San Diego has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
How far does your San Diego salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works