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Which weighting does the OP give on these factors? that's important.
just from general knowledge:
Job market - really depends on your field but Chicago is probably gonna have the most options
Cost of living - Pittsburgh probably wins followed by Charlotte
Nightlife - Chicago wins. after that, depends what you like, Austin better for live music. Pittsburgh better for neighborhoody places and wild nightlife (south side).
Outdoors - is this in city or metro or even out of metro? in city, close match between Chicago and Pgh. Chicago has the lake, where Pgh has the rivers and hills. Austin and Charlotte don't compete.
Vibe/culture - very subjective. but I think in any case Charlotte is in last place.
Things to do - Chicago first, followed by Pgh. Austin has a lot of things, but a lot are redundant as in music
Public transit - Chicago easy. Pgh next.
Climate - so subjective. Charlotte's is probably the least extreme. if that's what you like.
Pro sports - Chicago and Pgh probably close to tie here, even though Chi has more teams.
I'm looking to move and I've pretty much narrowed down my choices to one of the above four cities. I think they all have some or most of my criteria, and would probably be happy in any of them. I wanted to get other's views based on my list below:
I've always loved Chicago. It's fantastic. If not for their taxes, terrible financial situation which is going to blow up one day, and totally flat terrain/lack of an outdoors scene, I'd move there in a heartbeat.
This is the issue with Chicago. It's a bargain if you're coming from NYC or LA, otherwise the COL is just bad and it's only getting worse with taxes that go up every year and no signs of stopping. The Illinois Exodus is real and people have been leaving the area now for a while. The city is great and has great mass transit, but financially Chicago (and the surrounding suburbs) are in a hole. Be aware if you move here.
Amount of transplants / younger demographic: Transplants: Chicago by total number; Charlotte by percentage / Foreign Born: Chicago by total number and percentage / Younger Demographic: Chicago by total number; Charlotte by percentage
Best public transit: Chicago
Nightlife (bars, restaurants, shows, etc.): Chicago
Job market / outlook: Austin
Outdoor activities (parks, hiking, lakes, running trails, swimming, etc.): Charlotte
Vibe / Culture / Liveliness (hard to rank but looking for something fun and lively): Chicago
Amount of things to do (any kind of attractions, or shopping, entertainment, etc.): Chicago
Climate (Austin is brutal in the summer, and Chicago the winter) most mild?: Either Charlotte or Pittsburgh
Professional sports: Chicago has MLB (two teams), NFL, NHL, MLS, NBA and WNBA
Traffic: Pittsburgh
Chicago is on another level than the other three in so many ways. Pittsburgh and Charlotte are in the same tier followed by Austin.
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