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→Denver
Denver is a mile above sea level, an hour from a dozen ski resorts, and surrounded by mountains that make every west-facing window feel like a vacation. The air is dry, the sun shows up roughly 300 days a year, and craft beer is taken seriously enough to have its own annual pilgrimage (the Great American Beer Festival). Green chile is a hill people will die on. The patio season is essentially eternal.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,863/mo
$1,282/mo less than Boston (69%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$599k
$172k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
4.4%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,104/mo
Denver has $1,332/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
174 days
14 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
8 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
66 days
days below 20°F per year
Denver has 6 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Denver drops below 20°F on 33 more days per year than Boston.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
85 / 100
14.0 pts ahead of Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
169 routes
66 more direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
3.0M metro
Boston has 2.7x fewer events per month than Denver.
the verdict
2
Boston
categories won
7
Denver
categories won
Denver wins on money and lifestyle. Boston has the edge on weather.
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