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→Columbus
Columbus is Ohio State on autumn Saturdays (the Horseshoe holds 100,000+ and they all wear scarlet), German Village's cobblestone streets and brick cottages, and a Short North gallery scene that punches well above its weight. It's quietly become a test market for the rest of America because the demographics line up so neatly. The food scene leans young, weird, and good. 'Buckeyes' here can mean either the football team or the chocolate-peanut-butter candy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,511/mo
$1,634/mo less than Boston (108%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$350k
$421k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,490/mo
Columbus has $1,718/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
171 days
11 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
29 days
days below 20°F per year
Columbus edges ahead on pleasant days, but both cities have comparable comfort overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
57 / 100
14.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
32 routes
71 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
2.2M metro
Boston has 1.4x more events per month than Columbus.
the verdict
2
Boston
categories won
5
Columbus
categories won
Columbus wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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