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→Lubbock
Lubbock is Texas Tech, Buddy Holly's hometown (the museum downtown is a delight), and the heart of West Texas cotton country. The flatness goes on forever, the sunsets are huge, and the wide sky makes every night feel like a planetarium. The food scene leans BBQ and Tex-Mex. The Llano Estacado wine region is right outside town. Friendly and quietly cool.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,384/mo
$1,506/mo less than San Diego (109%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$211k
$800k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,949/mo
Lubbock has $2,281/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
186 days
146 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
61 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
7 days
days below 20°F per year
Lubbock has 61 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego. Lubbock drops below 20°F on 7 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
5 / 100
70.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
7 routes
48 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
360k metro
San Diego has 21.8x more events per month than Lubbock.
the verdict
5
San Diego
categories won
4
Lubbock
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle. Lubbock has the edge on money.
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