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→Hagerstown
Hagerstown is the Hub City of western Maryland, where rail lines and highways converge in the Cumberland Valley. The downtown has a small but charming historic core. Antietam Battlefield is 30 minutes south, with some of the most affecting Civil War landscape in the country. The Appalachian Trail crosses just to the west. Quiet, with serious history nearby.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,587/mo
$1,303/mo less than San Diego (82%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$321k
$689k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
8.2%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,063/mo
Hagerstown has $1,395/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
160 days
172 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
6 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
24 days
days below 20°F per year
Hagerstown has 6 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego. Hagerstown drops below 20°F on 24 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
56 / 100
19.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
2 routes
53 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
305k metro
San Diego has 9.7x more events per month than Hagerstown.
the verdict
5
San Diego
categories won
4
Hagerstown
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle. Hagerstown has the edge on money.
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