01 · the cities
Wichita
Wichita is the Air Capital of the World, with Cessna, Beechcraft, and major Spirit AeroSystems facilities all here. The Arkansas River runs through downtown, and the Old Town district has brick streets, breweries, and the kind of friendly Kansas pace that makes the rest of the country envious. The flatness is real, and the sunsets are enormous because of it.
full dispatch→Columbus
Columbus is on the Chattahoochee River, with the longest urban whitewater course in the world (since 2013) running right through downtown for rafting and surfing waves. Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning) is the city's anchor. The Riverwalk stretches for miles. The downtown has come back nicely with restaurants and breweries. Smaller and friendlier than the city's industrial reputation suggests.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,173/mo
$1,264/mo
$91/mo more than Wichita (7%)
Median home price
Median home price
$221k
$208k
$13k less than Wichita
State income tax
State income tax
5.7%
5.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,685/mo
$6,612/mo
Wichita has $73/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
177 days
13 more than Wichita
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
30 days
39 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
20 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Columbus has 9 more days above 95°F each year than Wichita. Wichita drops below 20°F on 18 more days per year than Columbus.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
52 / 100
47 / 100
5.0 pts behind Wichita
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
11 routes
1 routes
10 fewer direct routes than Wichita
Metro size
Metro size
653k metro
329k metro
Wichita has 1.3x fewer events per month than Columbus.
the verdict
5
Wichita
categories won
4
Columbus
categories won
Wichita wins on lifestyle. Columbus has the edge on weather.
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