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→Nashville
Nashville is honky-tonk neon on Broadway, hot chicken so spicy it counts as a personality test, and a music scene that includes way more than country (though country is the headliner). The Ryman Auditorium is still the most acoustically beloved room in American music. Bachelorette parties on pedal taverns are now a recognized weather pattern. Pack stretchy pants for the biscuits.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,868/mo
$1,790/mo
$78/mo less than Baltimore (4%)
Median home price
Median home price
$412k
$461k
$49k more than Baltimore
State income tax
State income tax
8.2%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,782/mo
$6,543/mo
Nashville has $761/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
173 days
5 more than Baltimore
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
4 days
4 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
21 days
8 days
days below 20°F per year
Baltimore drops below 20°F on 13 more days per year than Nashville.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
66 / 100
56 / 100
10.0 pts behind Baltimore
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
72 routes
47 routes
25 fewer direct routes than Baltimore
Metro size
Metro size
2.8M metro
2.1M metro
Baltimore has 4.2x fewer events per month than Nashville.
the verdict
3
Baltimore
categories won
5
Nashville
categories won
Nashville wins on money and weather. Baltimore has the edge on lifestyle.
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