01 · the cities
Boston
Boston is brick sidewalks, dive bars older than most states, and an accent that turns 'park the car' into a love language. The city is densely packed with colleges (Harvard, MIT, BU, BC, plus 30 more), which keeps it perpetually 22 years old in spirit. The Freedom Trail literally paints a red line through 400 years of American history. Dunkin' is not a chain here, it's a way of life.
full dispatch→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→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,868/mo
$1,277/mo less than Boston (68%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$412k
$359k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
8.2%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$5,782/mo
Baltimore has $1,010/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
160 days
168 days
8 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
4 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
21 days
days below 20°F per year
Boston drops below 20°F on 12 more days per year than Baltimore.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
66 / 100
5.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
72 routes
31 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
2.8M metro
Boston has 2.5x more events per month than Baltimore.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
5
Baltimore
categories won
Baltimore wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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