01 · the cities
San Jose
San Jose is Silicon Valley's anchor city, much bigger than San Francisco by population, and culturally underrated because everyone drives through it on the way somewhere else. The Vietnamese food scene (especially in Little Saigon) is one of the best in the country. The weather is impossibly mild, the Santa Cruz Mountains rise to the west, and the tech money funds a genuinely excellent restaurant scene.
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
$3,470/mo
$1,524/mo
$1,946/mo less than San Jose (128%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.8M
$322k
$1.5M less than San Jose
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,088/mo
$6,809/mo
Chattanooga has $2,721/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
283 days
167 days
116 fewer than San Jose
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 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 drops below 20°F on 5 more days per year than San Jose.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
70 / 100
69 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
29 routes
8 routes
21 fewer direct routes than San Jose
Metro size
Metro size
1.9M metro
580k metro
San Jose has 2.7x more events per month than Chattanooga.
the verdict
3
San Jose
categories won
4
Chattanooga
categories won
Chattanooga wins on money. San Jose has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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