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→Charlotte
Charlotte is banking towers (it's the second-biggest banking center in the country after NYC) wrapped in pine trees and southern hospitality. Uptown is the downtown (Charlotteans correct you on this immediately), the NASCAR Hall of Fame anchors a real motorsport scene, and the Whitewater Center lets you raft inside the city limits. Growth is fast, breweries are everywhere, and barbecue gets the Carolina vinegar treatment.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,728/mo
$1,417/mo less than Boston (82%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$391k
$380k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,230/mo
Charlotte has $1,458/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
200 days
40 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
7 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
3 days
days below 20°F per year
Charlotte has 5 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 30 more days per year than Charlotte.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
51 / 100
20.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
141 routes
38 more direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
2.8M metro
Boston has 1.5x more events per month than Charlotte.
the verdict
2
Boston
categories won
7
Charlotte
categories won
Charlotte leads on money and weather and wins overall.
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