01 · the cities
Spokane
Spokane is eastern Washington's anchor city, very different from Seattle: drier, sunnier, with the Spokane River tumbling through downtown in actual waterfalls. Riverfront Park (built for the 1974 World's Fair) is the city's living room. Bing Crosby was born here. Mt. Spokane and Coeur d'Alene Lake are nearby. The Bloomsday run every May draws around 40,000 people. Affordable and outdoorsy.
full dispatch→Chattanooga
Chattanooga became the first city in the country to roll out gigabit fiber internet to every home (2010, via the municipal utility), which jump-started a tech and remote-work scene. Lookout Mountain rises right above town, with Ruby Falls' underground waterfall and Rock City's epic views. The Tennessee Riverwalk is gorgeous. The Choo Choo (old terminal turned hotel) is a fun stay.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,520/mo
$1,524/mo
Median home price
Median home price
$420k
$322k
$98k less than Spokane
State income tax
State income tax
0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,813/mo
$6,809/mo
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
164 days
167 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
6 days
16 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
34 days
5 days
days below 20°F per year
Chattanooga has 10 more days above 95°F each year than Spokane. Spokane drops below 20°F on 29 more days per year than Chattanooga.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
81 / 100
69 / 100
12.0 pts behind Spokane
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
10 routes
8 routes
Metro size
Metro size
600k metro
580k metro
Spokane has 1.6x more events per month than Chattanooga.
the verdict
3
Spokane
categories won
2
Chattanooga
categories won
Spokane leads on lifestyle and wins overall.
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