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→Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the Pennsylvania state capital sitting on the Susquehanna River, with a gorgeous Beaux-Arts capitol building (Theodore Roosevelt called it the handsomest building he ever saw). City Island in the middle of the river is a small park with minor league baseball. Hershey is 15 minutes east (yes, that Hershey). Slower-paced than its metro neighbors.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,446/mo
$1,444/mo less than San Diego (100%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$309k
$702k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,632/mo
Harrisburg has $1,964/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
152 days
180 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
33 days
days below 20°F per year
Harrisburg drops below 20°F on 33 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
12 routes
43 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
606k metro
San Diego has 5.3x more events per month than Harrisburg.
the verdict
4
San Diego
categories won
4
Harrisburg
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle, Harrisburg wins on money. Dead even.
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