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→Rochester
Rochester is the city that Kodak and Xerox built, with a quiet college-town soul (UofR, RIT, Eastman School of Music). The Garbage Plate (cheeseburger, mac salad, home fries, hot sauce, on one plate) is the closest thing to a citywide handshake. Frederick Douglass made his home here, and the Susan B. Anthony House is downtown. The Finger Lakes wine country is right next door.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,534/mo
$1,356/mo less than San Diego (88%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$273k
$737k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.9%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,312/mo
Rochester has $1,644/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
147 days
185 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
48 days
days below 20°F per year
Rochester drops below 20°F on 48 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
58 / 100
17.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
18 routes
37 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
1.1M metro
San Diego has 5.8x more events per month than Rochester.
the verdict
4
San Diego
categories won
4
Rochester
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle, Rochester wins on money. Dead even.
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