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→Reno
Reno calls itself the Biggest Little City in the World and means it: casinos and neon, sure, but also a quietly cool downtown, a strong outdoor culture (Tahoe is 45 minutes south), and the Truckee River running right through the middle of everything. The University of Nevada keeps things young. Burning Man buses depart from here every August. Sunnier and drier than people expect.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,908/mo
$982/mo less than San Diego (51%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$574k
$436k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,425/mo
Reno has $1,757/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
201 days
131 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
4 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
28 days
days below 20°F per year
Reno drops below 20°F on 28 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
71 / 100
4.0 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
565k metro
San Diego has 1.7x more events per month than Reno.
the verdict
4
San Diego
categories won
4
Reno
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle, Reno wins on money. Dead even.
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