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→Lansing
Lansing is the Michigan state capital, Michigan State (East Lansing is essentially a continuation), and old auto industry roots that have softened into a quieter mid-sized city. The Grand River curves through downtown. The Capitol building is one of the prettier state capitols you'll see. Cheap, friendly, and a quick drive to Lake Michigan beaches.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,259/mo
$1,631/mo less than San Diego (130%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$244k
$767k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,720/mo
Lansing has $2,052/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
153 days
179 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
52 days
days below 20°F per year
Lansing drops below 20°F on 52 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
57 / 100
18.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
6 routes
49 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
473k metro
San Diego has 9.7x more events per month than Lansing.
the verdict
4
San Diego
categories won
4
Lansing
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle, Lansing wins on money. Dead even.
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