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→Kingsport
Kingsport is a planned 'model city' built by the Eastman Chemical Company in the early 1900s, with a downtown laid out in deliberate grids and the company still dominating the local economy. It's in the Tri-Cities area (with Bristol and Johnson City), tucked into the Appalachian foothills. Bays Mountain Park and the South Fork Holston River give it strong outdoor access. Quietly orderly.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,383/mo
$1,507/mo less than San Diego (109%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$244k
$766k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,950/mo
Kingsport has $2,282/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
188 days
144 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
15 days
days below 20°F per year
Kingsport drops below 20°F on 15 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
59 / 100
16.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
4 routes
51 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
312k metro
San Diego has 21.8x more events per month than Kingsport.
the verdict
4
San Diego
categories won
4
Kingsport
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle, Kingsport wins on money. Dead even.
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