01 · the cities
Sarasota
Sarasota is the home of the Ringling Brothers Circus (the museum is wild, and yes, there's a vintage clown college history), and Siesta Key's beach is regularly named the best in America for its pure quartz sand. The cultural scene is heavy for a Florida city of its size (theater, opera, art museum). Gulf sunsets here are the brochure shot. The food scene has caught up to the city's wealth and the retirees' time.
full dispatch→Pensacola
Pensacola is the Blue Angels' home base (you can watch their practices for free at the National Naval Aviation Museum), with sugar-white sand beaches on the Gulf and a charming historic district that goes back to the Spanish. It's the western-most Florida city, closer to New Orleans than to Miami in feel. Affordable, sunny, and serious about seafood.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,121/mo
$1,752/mo
$369/mo less than Sarasota (21%)
Median home price
Median home price
$423k
$303k
$120k less than Sarasota
State income tax
State income tax
0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,212/mo
$6,581/mo
Pensacola has $369/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
249 days
226 days
23 fewer than Sarasota
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
6 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Pensacola has 5 more days above 95°F each year than Sarasota.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
59 / 100
69 / 100
10.0 pts ahead of Sarasota
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
6 routes
11 routes
5 more direct routes than Sarasota
Metro size
Metro size
262k metro
530k metro
Sarasota has 8.7x fewer events per month than Pensacola.
the verdict
2
Sarasota
categories won
5
Pensacola
categories won
Pensacola wins on money and lifestyle. Sarasota has the edge on weather.
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