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→St. Louis
St. Louis has the Arch (catenary curve and engineering marvel), Forest Park (bigger than Central Park and home to a free zoo, art museum, and history museum), and toasted ravioli, which was invented here. The Cardinals are a religion, the Hill neighborhood is wall-to-wall Italian red sauce, and Imo's makes pizza with Provel cheese that locals defend furiously. The skyline at sunset is underrated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,868/mo
$1,411/mo
$457/mo less than Baltimore (32%)
Median home price
Median home price
$412k
$277k
$136k less than Baltimore
State income tax
State income tax
8.2%
4.7%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,782/mo
$6,531/mo
St. Louis has $749/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
174 days
6 more than Baltimore
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
4 days
5 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
21 days
22 days
days below 20°F per year
Baltimore and St. Louis have remarkably similar weather profiles overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
66 / 100
68 / 100
2.0 pts ahead of Baltimore
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
72 routes
60 routes
12 fewer direct routes than Baltimore
Metro size
Metro size
2.8M metro
2.8M metro
Baltimore has 1.2x fewer events per month than St. Louis.
the verdict
1
Baltimore
categories won
6
St. Louis
categories won
St. Louis wins this comparison, leading on money and weather.
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