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→South Bend
South Bend is Notre Dame, the Golden Dome, and the Touchdown Jesus mural visible from the football stadium. The St. Joseph River runs through downtown, and the East Bank district has the food and bar scene. The University of Notre Dame campus is genuinely beautiful (the basilica, the lakes, the grottos). Smaller than its national reputation suggests, with a steady college-town pulse.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,470/mo
$1,391/mo
$2,079/mo less than San Jose (149%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.8M
$230k
$1.6M less than San Jose
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,088/mo
$6,692/mo
South Bend has $2,604/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
157 days
126 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
40 days
days below 20°F per year
San Jose has 19 more days above 95°F each year than South Bend. South Bend drops below 20°F on 40 more days per year than San Jose.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
70 / 100
53 / 100
17.0 pts behind San Jose
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
29 routes
9 routes
20 fewer direct routes than San Jose
Metro size
Metro size
1.9M metro
324k metro
San Jose has 3.6x more events per month than South Bend.
the verdict
4
San Jose
categories won
5
South Bend
categories won
South Bend wins on money. San Jose has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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