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→Birmingham
Birmingham was built on steel and reshaped by the civil rights movement, and you can feel both stories in the city. The Civil Rights Institute is essential, the food scene (Highlands Bar and Grill, Hot and Hot Fish Club, plenty more) is one of the most acclaimed in the South. The Vulcan statue, the largest cast-iron statue in the world, looks down on the city from Red Mountain. Younger than its reputation suggests.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,407/mo
$1,738/mo less than Boston (124%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$261k
$510k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,510/mo
Birmingham has $1,738/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
171 days
11 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
28 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
4 days
days below 20°F per year
Birmingham has 26 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 29 more days per year than Birmingham.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
61 / 100
10.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
20 routes
83 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
1.2M metro
Boston has 1.9x more events per month than Birmingham.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
5
Birmingham
categories won
Birmingham wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
run your numbers
How far does your Boston salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works