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→Huntsville
Huntsville is Rocket City, with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the Saturn V rocket on display at the Space and Rocket Center, and a tech and engineering economy that punches way above the city's size. Cummings Research Park is the second-largest research park in the U.S. The Tennessee River and Monte Sano State Park give it a quiet outdoor side. Affordable and surprisingly smart.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,374/mo
$1,516/mo less than San Diego (110%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$316k
$695k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,543/mo
Huntsville has $1,875/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
13 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
6 days
days below 20°F per year
Huntsville has 13 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego. Huntsville drops below 20°F on 6 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
58 / 100
17.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
9 routes
46 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
527k metro
San Diego has 5.4x more events per month than Huntsville.
the verdict
5
San Diego
categories won
4
Huntsville
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle. Huntsville has the edge on money.
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