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→Manchester
Manchester is built around the Amoskeag Mills, once the largest cotton mill complex in the world, now converted into apartments, restaurants, and offices along the Merrimack River. The downtown's grown into a real food and brewery scene. It's the largest city in New Hampshire (still relatively small) and a quick drive to the lakes, the mountains, or Boston. Plus there's no state income tax or sales tax.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$2,092/mo
$798/mo less than San Diego (38%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$548k
$463k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,241/mo
Manchester has $1,573/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
154 days
178 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
54 days
days below 20°F per year
Manchester drops below 20°F on 54 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
62 / 100
13.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
13 routes
42 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
427k metro
San Diego has 11.6x more events per month than Manchester.
the verdict
4
San Diego
categories won
4
Manchester
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle, Manchester wins on money. Dead even.
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