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→Fort Collins
Fort Collins is the home of New Belgium Brewing (Fat Tire's origin) and a thriving craft beer scene with more breweries than Boulder. Old Town's brick streets and historic storefronts are charming enough that they're said to have influenced Disney's Main Street USA designers. CSU keeps the energy young. The foothills rise right outside town, and Rocky Mountain National Park is an hour away. Quieter than Boulder, less expensive.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,971/mo
$919/mo less than San Diego (47%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$572k
$438k 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
$5,996/mo
Fort Collins has $1,328/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
177 days
155 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
11 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
44 days
days below 20°F per year
Fort Collins has 11 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego. Fort Collins drops below 20°F on 44 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
69 / 100
6.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
169 routes
114 more direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
371k metro
San Diego has 174.0x more events per month than Fort Collins.
the verdict
4
San Diego
categories won
5
Fort Collins
categories won
Fort Collins wins on money. San Diego has the edge on weather.
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