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's life revolves around Fort Liberty (recently renamed from Fort Bragg), one of the largest military installations in the world. The Cape Fear River runs past, the airborne and special operations museum is excellent, and the food scene reflects the international military families that cycle through. Southern, military, and friendly. Quieter than the big NC cities.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,477/mo
$1,413/mo less than San Diego (96%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$258k
$753k 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
$6,481/mo
Fayetteville has $1,813/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
193 days
139 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
14 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
3 days
days below 20°F per year
Fayetteville has 14 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
51 / 100
24.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
4 routes
51 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
392k metro
San Diego has 11.6x more events per month than Fayetteville.
the verdict
4
San Diego
categories won
4
Fayetteville
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle, Fayetteville wins on money. Dead even.
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