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→Des Moines
Des Moines is the Iowa State Fair every August (think butter cows, deep-fried everything, and the political circus of every presidential cycle), insurance industry stability, and a downtown that's grown into a genuinely good food and brewery scene. The East Village neighborhood is the cool kid pocket. The whole city is bikeable. Friendly, affordable, and chronically underestimated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,268/mo
$1,622/mo less than San Diego (128%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$300k
$711k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
6.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,565/mo
Des Moines has $1,897/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
151 days
181 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
7 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
55 days
days below 20°F per year
Des Moines has 7 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego. Des Moines drops below 20°F on 55 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
55 / 100
20.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
17 routes
38 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
737k metro
San Diego has 3.8x more events per month than Des Moines.
the verdict
5
San Diego
categories won
4
Des Moines
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle. Des Moines has the edge on money.
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