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→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
$3,146/mo
$1,675/mo
$1,471/mo less than San Francisco (88%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.2M
$448k
$791k less than San Francisco
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,412/mo
$6,283/mo
Wilmington has $1,871/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
235 days
77 fewer than San Francisco
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 Francisco edges ahead on pleasant days, but both cities have comparable comfort overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
83 / 100
54 / 100
29.0 pts behind San Francisco
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
111 routes
5 routes
106 fewer direct routes than San Francisco
Metro size
Metro size
4.6M metro
467k metro
San Francisco has 12.9x more events per month than Wilmington.
the verdict
3
San Francisco
categories won
4
Wilmington
categories won
Wilmington wins on money. San Francisco has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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