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→Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach is the Grand Strand's anchor, with 60 miles of beach, more than 80 mini golf courses (it might be the mini golf capital of America), and a boardwalk packed with arcades and pancake houses. Calabash-style fried seafood is a thing. It's a family beach town, full stop, with affordable oceanfront and easy access to Charleston a few hours south.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,727/mo
$1,163/mo less than San Diego (67%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$361k
$649k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,065/mo
Myrtle Beach has $1,397/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
249 days
83 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
0 days
days below 20°F per year
San Diego edges ahead on pleasant days, but both cities have comparable comfort overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
58 / 100
17.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
23 routes
32 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
397k metro
San Diego has 7.6x more events per month than Myrtle Beach.
the verdict
3
San Diego
categories won
4
Myrtle Beach
categories won
Myrtle Beach wins on money. San Diego has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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