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→Durham
Durham is Duke University, old tobacco warehouses turned into incredible restaurants and breweries (the American Tobacco Campus is a model for adaptive reuse), and a food scene that punches way above its size (multiple James Beard winners). Bull City pride runs deep. The Eno River and Duke Gardens are right in town. It's more diverse, weirder, and more interesting than outsiders expect.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,684/mo
$1,206/mo less than San Diego (72%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$415k
$596k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,274/mo
Durham has $1,606/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
178 days
154 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
19 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
5 days
days below 20°F per year
Durham has 19 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego. Durham drops below 20°F on 5 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
50 / 100
25.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
39 routes
16 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
609k metro
San Diego has 5.0x more events per month than Durham.
the verdict
5
San Diego
categories won
4
Durham
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle. Durham has the edge on money.
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