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→Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs sits at the foot of Pikes Peak (which inspired America the Beautiful), with the Garden of the Gods' red rock formations rising on the city's western edge. The Air Force Academy chapel is one of the most striking pieces of modernist religious architecture in the country. It's drier and sunnier than people expect, with strong evangelical and military communities shaping the city's character. Outdoorsy in a quiet way.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,520/mo
$1,733/mo
$213/mo more than Spokane (12%)
Median home price
Median home price
$420k
$463k
$42k more than Spokane
State income tax
State income tax
0%
4.4%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,813/mo
$6,234/mo
Spokane has $579/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
164 days
184 days
20 more than Spokane
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
6 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
34 days
75 days
days below 20°F per year
Spokane has 6 more days above 95°F each year than Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs drops below 20°F on 41 more days per year than Spokane.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
81 / 100
71 / 100
10.0 pts behind Spokane
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
10 routes
11 routes
Metro size
Metro size
600k metro
769k metro
Spokane has 1.2x fewer events per month than Colorado Springs.
the verdict
6
Spokane
categories won
2
Colorado Springs
categories won
Spokane wins on money and lifestyle. Colorado Springs has the edge on weather.
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