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→Trenton
Trenton's downtown is anchored by the famous 'Trenton Makes The World Takes' bridge sign over the Delaware River, a relic of the city's manufacturing past. It's the New Jersey state capital, sitting roughly halfway between Philly and NYC, with quick train access to both. The food scene leans on solid Italian and an emerging Latin American presence. Workmanlike, with history.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$2,540/mo
$350/mo less than San Diego (14%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$456k
$554k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
6.4%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$5,263/mo
Trenton has $595/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
171 days
161 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
21 days
days below 20°F per year
Trenton drops below 20°F on 21 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
123 routes
68 more direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
382k metro
San Diego has 15.8x more events per month than Trenton.
the verdict
3
San Diego
categories won
5
Trenton
categories won
Trenton wins on money. San Diego has the edge on weather.
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