01 · the cities
Allentown
Allentown is the heart of the Lehigh Valley, with old industrial bones turning into a quietly resilient mid-sized city. The Lehigh River runs past, the historic downtown has been steadily finding its footing with breweries and restaurants in the old buildings, and the surrounding farmland is gorgeous. It's an hour and change from both Philly and NYC. Cheaper than both, by a lot.
full dispatch→Richmond
Richmond is one of the only major U.S. cities with class IV whitewater rapids running right through downtown. The James River's Belle Isle is a public park where people sunbathe on boulders mid-river. The Fan and Carytown neighborhoods are full of murals, vintage shops, and porches built for sitting. The food scene leans creative, the beer scene leans plentiful, and VCU keeps the arts energy buzzing.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,809/mo
$1,691/mo
$118/mo less than Allentown (7%)
Median home price
Median home price
$359k
$394k
$35k more than Allentown
State income tax
State income tax
3.1%
5.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,269/mo
$6,163/mo
Allentown has $106/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
157 days
172 days
15 more than Allentown
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
18 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
32 days
9 days
days below 20°F per year
Richmond has 16 more days above 95°F each year than Allentown. Allentown drops below 20°F on 23 more days per year than Richmond.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
73 / 100
65 / 100
8.0 pts behind Allentown
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
9 routes
19 routes
10 more direct routes than Allentown
Metro size
Metro size
874k metro
1.4M metro
Allentown has 2.1x fewer events per month than Richmond.
the verdict
5
Allentown
categories won
4
Richmond
categories won
Allentown wins on money. Richmond has the edge on weather.
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