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→Kansas City
Kansas City is barbecue (burnt ends are a local invention), jazz (the 18th and Vine district fed Charlie Parker and Count Basie), and fountains everywhere you turn. The city straddles two states and doesn't make a big deal out of it. The Plaza shopping district looks like Seville, which is delightfully odd for the Midwest. Friendly here means genuinely friendly.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,502/mo
$1,388/mo less than San Diego (92%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$326k
$684k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.7%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,440/mo
Kansas City has $1,772/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
170 days
162 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
8 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
26 days
days below 20°F per year
Kansas City has 8 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego. Kansas City drops below 20°F on 26 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
43 routes
12 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
2.2M metro
San Diego has 2.1x more events per month than Kansas City.
the verdict
5
San Diego
categories won
4
Kansas City
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle. Kansas City has the edge on money.
run your numbers
How far does your San Diego salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works