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→Clarksville
Clarksville is anchored by Fort Campbell (just across the Kentucky line, home of the 101st Airborne), with a growing downtown and the Cumberland River curving past. There's a quieter charm here, a strong military community, and quick access to Nashville (45 minutes south). Affordable, growing fast, and underrated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,337/mo
$1,808/mo less than Boston (135%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$294k
$477k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,996/mo
Clarksville has $2,224/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
173 days
13 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
9 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
15 days
days below 20°F per year
Clarksville has 7 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 18 more days per year than Clarksville.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
51 / 100
20.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
47 routes
56 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
337k metro
Boston has 84.0x more events per month than Clarksville.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
6
Clarksville
categories won
Clarksville wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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