01 · the cities
Baltimore
Baltimore is steamed crabs with Old Bay, the Inner Harbor at golden hour, and row houses with painted screens. Edgar Allan Poe is buried here, John Waters still lives here, and Cal Ripken Jr. is a saint. The seafood is genuinely some of the best on the east coast. The neighborhoods (Fells Point, Hampden, Federal Hill) each feel like their own small town.
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
$1,868/mo
$1,419/mo
$449/mo less than Baltimore (32%)
Median home price
Median home price
$412k
$252k
$160k less than Baltimore
State income tax
State income tax
8.2%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,782/mo
$6,582/mo
Cleveland has $800/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
168 days
159 days
9 fewer than Baltimore
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
4 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
21 days
27 days
days below 20°F per year
Cleveland drops below 20°F on 6 more days per year than Baltimore.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
66 / 100
63 / 100
3.0 pts behind Baltimore
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
72 routes
56 routes
16 fewer direct routes than Baltimore
Metro size
Metro size
2.8M metro
2.2M metro
Baltimore has 1.3x fewer events per month than Cleveland.
the verdict
4
Baltimore
categories won
4
Cleveland
categories won
Baltimore wins on weather and lifestyle, Cleveland wins on money. Dead even.
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