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→Tampa
Tampa is the Cuban sandwich's other home (yes, there's a rivalry with Miami), with Ybor City's brick streets, rooster gangs, and cigar shops giving the city a flavor all its own. Bayshore Boulevard claims one of the longest continuous sidewalks in the country, perfect for sunset jogs. The beaches are a short drive west, the Lightning play hockey in the swamp, and the winters feel like other cities' best Aprils.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,146/mo
$1,996/mo
$1,150/mo less than San Francisco (58%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.2M
$374k
$865k less than San Francisco
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,412/mo
$6,337/mo
Tampa has $1,925/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
243 days
69 fewer than San Francisco
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 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
62 / 100
21.0 pts behind San Francisco
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
111 routes
68 routes
43 fewer direct routes than San Francisco
Metro size
Metro size
4.6M metro
3.3M metro
San Francisco has 5.4x more events per month than Tampa.
the verdict
3
San Francisco
categories won
4
Tampa
categories won
Tampa wins on money. San Francisco has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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