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→Cincinnati
Cincinnati is chili served on spaghetti (Skyline and Gold Star will fight you about which is better), German heritage in Over-the-Rhine's beer halls, and a riverfront that looks straight across at Kentucky. OTR's brick warehouses have become one of the best urban revitalizations in the country. The Reds play in baseball's oldest professional city. Pronounce it correctly and the locals warm up fast.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,549/mo
$1,596/mo less than Boston (103%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$316k
$455k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,452/mo
Cincinnati has $1,680/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
162 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
26 days
days below 20°F per year
Boston drops below 20°F on 7 more days per year than Cincinnati.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
72 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
47 routes
56 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
2.3M metro
Boston has 1.9x more events per month than Cincinnati.
the verdict
1
Boston
categories won
5
Cincinnati
categories won
Cincinnati wins this comparison, leading on money and weather.
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