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→Columbia
Columbia is the South Carolina capital, USC Gamecock country, and home to one of the largest urban rivers (the Congaree) flowing right past downtown. The Saluda River outside town is a tubing destination locals swear by, and Congaree National Park's old-growth cypress is a 30-minute drive. The state museum is a sleeper good time. Slower-paced than Charleston, less touristy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,470/mo
$1,551/mo
$1,919/mo less than San Jose (124%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.8M
$255k
$1.5M less than San Jose
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,088/mo
$6,241/mo
Columbia has $2,153/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
189 days
94 fewer than San Jose
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
27 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Columbia has 8 more days above 95°F each year than San Jose.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
70 / 100
55 / 100
15.0 pts behind San Jose
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
29 routes
10 routes
19 fewer direct routes than San Jose
Metro size
Metro size
1.9M metro
857k metro
San Jose has 3.3x more events per month than Columbia.
the verdict
4
San Jose
categories won
4
Columbia
categories won
San Jose wins on weather and lifestyle, Columbia wins on money. Dead even.
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