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→Duluth
Duluth sits on the western tip of Lake Superior, with the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge lifting for ships entering the harbor. Bob Dylan was born here. The lakefront walking path goes for miles. Canal Park has the local food and brewery scene. Summer hiking, kayaking, and shoreline views are jaw-dropping, and winter turns the city into a snow-lit lakeside cathedral. Wild and beautiful.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,146/mo
$1,559/mo
$1,587/mo less than San Francisco (102%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.2M
$252k
$986k less than San Francisco
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
7.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,412/mo
$6,120/mo
Duluth has $1,708/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
132 days
180 fewer than San Francisco
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
105 days
days below 20°F per year
Duluth drops below 20°F on 105 more days per year than San Francisco.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
83 / 100
73 / 100
10.0 pts behind San Francisco
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
111 routes
4 routes
107 fewer direct routes than San Francisco
Metro size
Metro size
4.6M metro
282k metro
San Francisco has 8.6x more events per month than Duluth.
the verdict
4
San Francisco
categories won
4
Duluth
categories won
San Francisco wins on weather and lifestyle, Duluth wins on money. Dead even.
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