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→Louisville
Louisville is bourbon, the Derby, Muhammad Ali, and the Hot Brown sandwich (an open-faced turkey-and-cheese situation invented at the Brown Hotel). Derby week is a citywide event where people dress like they're at a wedding for a horse. The Highlands neighborhood has the best dive bars, the Urban Bourbon Trail downtown takes a full weekend. Pronounce it 'Loo-uh-vul' and you'll fit in.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,368/mo
$1,522/mo less than San Diego (111%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$282k
$728k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,590/mo
Louisville has $1,922/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
181 days
151 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
Louisville drops below 20°F on 15 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
54 / 100
21.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
22 routes
33 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
1.4M metro
San Diego has 1.9x more events per month than Louisville.
the verdict
4
San Diego
categories won
4
Louisville
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle, Louisville wins on money. Dead even.
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