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→Chicago
Chicago is deep-dish for tourists, thin-crust tavern style for locals, and a hot dog that absolutely will not have ketchup on it. The L rumbles overhead, the lakefront stretches for 18 unbroken miles of beach and trail, and the architecture boat tour is the single best $50 you'll spend. Summer in Chicago might be the best summer in America. The improv comedy gene pool is unmatched.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$2,170/mo
$975/mo less than Boston (45%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$365k
$406k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$5,751/mo
Chicago has $979/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
153 days
7 fewer than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
38 days
days below 20°F per year
Chicago drops below 20°F on 5 more days per year than Boston.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
70 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
217 routes
114 more direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
9.3M metro
Boston has 7.7x fewer events per month than Chicago.
the verdict
2
Boston
categories won
5
Chicago
categories won
Chicago wins on money and lifestyle. Boston has the edge on weather.
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