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→Spartanburg
Spartanburg is the Upstate of South Carolina, with rolling foothills, peach orchards (yes, South Carolina actually grows more peaches than Georgia in some years), and the largest BMW manufacturing plant in the world just outside town. The downtown's been revitalizing with breweries and restaurants. Wofford and Converse keep college energy in town. The Blue Ridge is right there.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,434/mo
$1,456/mo less than San Diego (102%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$277k
$733k 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
$6,358/mo
Spartanburg has $1,690/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
191 days
141 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
16 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
4 days
days below 20°F per year
Spartanburg has 16 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
68 / 100
7.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
20 routes
35 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
383k metro
San Diego has 11.6x more events per month than Spartanburg.
the verdict
4
San Diego
categories won
4
Spartanburg
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle, Spartanburg wins on money. Dead even.
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