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→Columbia
Columbia is the South Carolina capital, USC Gamecock country, and home to one of the largest urban rivers (the Congaree) flowing right past downtown. The Saluda River outside town is a tubing destination locals swear by, and Congaree National Park's old-growth cypress is a 30-minute drive. The state museum is a sleeper good time. Slower-paced than Charleston, less touristy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,551/mo
$1,594/mo less than Boston (103%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$255k
$516k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,241/mo
Columbia has $1,469/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
189 days
29 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
27 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Columbia has 25 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 31 more days per year than Columbia.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
55 / 100
16.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
10 routes
93 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
857k metro
Boston has 8.8x more events per month than Columbia.
the verdict
4
Boston
categories won
5
Columbia
categories won
Columbia wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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