01 · the cities
St. Louis
St. Louis has the Arch (catenary curve and engineering marvel), Forest Park (bigger than Central Park and home to a free zoo, art museum, and history museum), and toasted ravioli, which was invented here. The Cardinals are a religion, the Hill neighborhood is wall-to-wall Italian red sauce, and Imo's makes pizza with Provel cheese that locals defend furiously. The skyline at sunset is underrated.
full dispatch→Cleveland
Cleveland is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the West Side Market's 100+ years of pierogies and bratwurst, and Lake Erie sunsets that put the coastal hype to shame. The Cuyahoga River caught fire so many times it inspired the Clean Water Act. The Cleveland Orchestra is consistently ranked among the world's best. Summers on the lake are gorgeous, and the food scene is having a real moment.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,411/mo
$1,419/mo
Median home price
Median home price
$277k
$252k
$25k less than St. Louis
State income tax
State income tax
4.7%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,531/mo
$6,582/mo
Cleveland has $51/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
174 days
159 days
15 fewer than St. Louis
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
5 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
22 days
27 days
days below 20°F per year
St. Louis has 5 more days above 95°F each year than Cleveland. Cleveland drops below 20°F on 5 more days per year than St. Louis.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
63 / 100
5.0 pts behind St. Louis
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
60 routes
56 routes
4 fewer direct routes than St. Louis
Metro size
Metro size
2.8M metro
2.2M metro
St. Louis has 1.1x fewer events per month than Cleveland.
the verdict
4
St. Louis
categories won
4
Cleveland
categories won
St. Louis wins on weather and lifestyle, Cleveland wins on money. Dead even.
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