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→Springfield
Springfield is the birthplace of Route 66 (the road was officially named in a meeting here in 1926), Bass Pro Shops' world headquarters, and the gateway to the Ozarks. Wonders of Wildlife (next to the Bass Pro store) is genuinely one of the best aquariums in America. The city itself is friendly, affordable, and surprisingly leafy. Branson is 30 miles south for the lake-and-show experience.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,249/mo
$1,641/mo less than San Diego (131%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$268k
$742k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.7%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,693/mo
Springfield has $2,025/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
170 days
162 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
12 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
20 days
days below 20°F per year
Springfield has 12 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego. Springfield drops below 20°F on 20 more days per year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
50 / 100
25.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
9 routes
46 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
491k metro
San Diego has 10.9x more events per month than Springfield.
the verdict
5
San Diego
categories won
4
Springfield
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle. Springfield has the edge on money.
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