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→Fayetteville
Fayetteville is the University of Arkansas, Razorback football (call those hogs), and the Ozark mountains rising right outside town. The Walmart and Tyson HQ are in nearby Bentonville, which has reshaped the region's economy. The downtown square farmers market is one of the country's best. The food scene has grown up fast. Surprising for the region.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,606/mo
$1,284/mo less than San Diego (80%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$367k
$643k 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
$6,361/mo
Fayetteville has $1,693/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
170 days
162 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
16 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
14 days
days below 20°F per year
Fayetteville has 16 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego. Fayetteville drops below 20°F on 14 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
64 / 100
11.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
14 routes
41 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
590k metro
San Diego has 21.8x more events per month than Fayetteville.
the verdict
5
San Diego
categories won
4
Fayetteville
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle. Fayetteville has the edge on money.
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