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→Lansing
Lansing is the Michigan state capital, Michigan State (East Lansing is essentially a continuation), and old auto industry roots that have softened into a quieter mid-sized city. The Grand River curves through downtown. The Capitol building is one of the prettier state capitols you'll see. Cheap, friendly, and a quick drive to Lake Michigan beaches.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,470/mo
$1,259/mo
$2,211/mo less than San Jose (176%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.8M
$244k
$1.6M less than San Jose
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,088/mo
$6,720/mo
Lansing has $2,632/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
153 days
130 fewer than San Jose
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
52 days
days below 20°F per year
San Jose has 19 more days above 95°F each year than Lansing. Lansing drops below 20°F on 52 more days per year than San Jose.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
70 / 100
57 / 100
13.0 pts behind San Jose
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
29 routes
6 routes
23 fewer direct routes than San Jose
Metro size
Metro size
1.9M metro
473k metro
San Jose has 3.4x more events per month than Lansing.
the verdict
4
San Jose
categories won
5
Lansing
categories won
Lansing wins on money. San Jose has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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