01 · the cities
San Francisco
San Francisco is hills, fog, Mission burritos the size of forearms, and pastel Victorians stacked like dominoes. Karl the Fog has his own Instagram, the cable cars are still mechanically pulled by cables running under the street, and the Pacific shows up at the end of every west-bound avenue. The food is wildly good, the views are theatrical, and yes, you'll get cardio just walking to the corner store.
full dispatch→Atlanta
Atlanta is hip-hop's current capital, with 'Peachtree' in seemingly every other street name and the busiest airport in the world acting as the city's front door. The Beltline turned old rail corridors into a 22-mile loop of murals, breweries, and joggers. Food culture spans soul food, Vietnamese banh mi in Buford Highway strip malls, and barbecue. The tree canopy is one of the densest in any major American city.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,146/mo
$1,814/mo
$1,332/mo less than San Francisco (73%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.2M
$386k
$853k less than San Francisco
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,412/mo
$6,062/mo
Atlanta has $1,650/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
312 days
204 days
108 fewer than San Francisco
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
San Francisco edges ahead on pleasant days, but both cities have comparable comfort overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
83 / 100
67 / 100
16.0 pts behind San Francisco
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
111 routes
217 routes
106 more direct routes than San Francisco
Metro size
Metro size
4.6M metro
6.3M metro
San Francisco and Atlanta have similar event volume.
the verdict
2
San Francisco
categories won
5
Atlanta
categories won
Atlanta wins on money. San Francisco has the edge on weather.
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