01 · the cities
Boise
Boise is basically Denver before Denver got Denver-y: walkable downtown, foothills you can run into on your lunch break, and a river slicing right through the middle of town. The Basque Block downtown anchors the biggest Basque community in the U.S., which nobody sees coming. The vibe is 'we close our laptops and go outside,' and the trails make that very easy to do. Locals would prefer you didn't tell anyone.
full dispatch→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→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,794/mo
$1,809/mo
Median home price
Median home price
$490k
$359k
$131k less than Boise
State income tax
State income tax
5.8%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,056/mo
$6,269/mo
Allentown has $213/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
166 days
157 days
9 fewer than Boise
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
27 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
24 days
32 days
days below 20°F per year
Boise has 25 more days above 95°F each year than Allentown. Allentown drops below 20°F on 8 more days per year than Boise.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
82 / 100
73 / 100
9.0 pts behind Boise
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
16 routes
9 routes
7 fewer direct routes than Boise
Metro size
Metro size
827k metro
874k metro
Boise has 1.4x more events per month than Allentown.
the verdict
4
Boise
categories won
4
Allentown
categories won
Boise wins on weather and lifestyle, Allentown wins on money. Dead even.
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