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→Lexington
Lexington is the Thoroughbred horse capital of the world, with bluegrass-fed horse farms surrounding the city in white-fenced perfection. Keeneland racetrack is one of the most beautiful in the world. The bourbon trail starts right here. Downtown is small but tightening up nicely with food and bars. The University of Kentucky's blue bleeds through everything.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,470/mo
$1,488/mo
$1,982/mo less than San Jose (133%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.8M
$324k
$1.5M less than San Jose
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,088/mo
$6,470/mo
Lexington has $2,382/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
171 days
112 fewer than San Jose
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
19 days
days below 20°F per year
San Jose has 18 more days above 95°F each year than Lexington. Lexington drops below 20°F on 19 more days per year than San Jose.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
70 / 100
60 / 100
10.0 pts behind San Jose
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
29 routes
13 routes
16 fewer direct routes than San Jose
Metro size
Metro size
1.9M metro
520k metro
San Jose has 1.5x more events per month than Lexington.
the verdict
4
San Jose
categories won
5
Lexington
categories won
Lexington wins on money. San Jose has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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