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→Wilmington
Wilmington has been called 'Hollywood East' for the volume of film and TV produced here (Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, and dozens of features). The historic riverfront on the Cape Fear is genuinely charming, and Wrightsville Beach is 15 minutes away. The food scene punches above its weight, especially seafood. UNCW keeps it youthful. A coastal city with both beach and downtown charm.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$1,675/mo
$1,215/mo less than San Diego (73%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$448k
$562k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$6,283/mo
Wilmington has $1,615/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
235 days
97 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
1 days
days below 20°F per year
San Diego edges ahead on pleasant days, but both cities have comparable comfort overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
54 / 100
21.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
5 routes
50 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
467k metro
San Diego has 8.7x more events per month than Wilmington.
the verdict
3
San Diego
categories won
4
Wilmington
categories won
Wilmington wins on money. San Diego has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
run your numbers
How far does your San Diego salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works