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→Chattanooga
Chattanooga became the first city in the country to roll out gigabit fiber internet to every home (2010, via the municipal utility), which jump-started a tech and remote-work scene. Lookout Mountain rises right above town, with Ruby Falls' underground waterfall and Rock City's epic views. The Tennessee Riverwalk is gorgeous. The Choo Choo (old terminal turned hotel) is a fun stay.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,146/mo
$1,524/mo
$1,622/mo less than San Francisco (106%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.2M
$322k
$917k less than San Francisco
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,412/mo
$6,809/mo
Chattanooga has $2,397/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
167 days
145 fewer than San Francisco
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
16 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
5 days
days below 20°F per year
Chattanooga has 16 more days above 95°F each year than San Francisco. Chattanooga drops below 20°F on 5 more days per year than San Francisco.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
83 / 100
69 / 100
14.0 pts behind San Francisco
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
111 routes
8 routes
103 fewer direct routes than San Francisco
Metro size
Metro size
4.6M metro
580k metro
San Francisco has 11.2x more events per month than Chattanooga.
the verdict
5
San Francisco
categories won
4
Chattanooga
categories won
San Francisco wins on weather and lifestyle. Chattanooga has the edge on money.
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