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→Reading
Reading is the Pagoda lit up on Mount Penn (a Japanese-style pavilion built in 1908 that's become the city symbol), old factory bones, and the surrounding Berks County farmland. The downtown food and art scene is growing into the old factory bones, with breweries and galleries opening steadily. Pretzels, scrapple, and Pennsylvania Dutch baking are everywhere. Cheaper than nearby Lancaster.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,478/mo
$1,412/mo less than San Diego (96%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$311k
$700k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,600/mo
Reading has $1,932/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
157 days
175 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
32 days
days below 20°F per year
Reading drops below 20°F on 32 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
65 / 100
10.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
0 routes
55 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
433k metro
San Diego has 6.0x more events per month than Reading.
the verdict
4
San Diego
categories won
4
Reading
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle, Reading wins on money. Dead even.
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