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→Duluth
Duluth sits on the western tip of Lake Superior, with the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge lifting for ships entering the harbor. Bob Dylan was born here. The lakefront walking path goes for miles. Canal Park has the local food and brewery scene. Summer hiking, kayaking, and shoreline views are jaw-dropping, and winter turns the city into a snow-lit lakeside cathedral. Wild and beautiful.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,559/mo
$1,586/mo less than Boston (102%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$252k
$518k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
7.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,120/mo
Duluth has $1,348/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
132 days
28 fewer 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
105 days
days below 20°F per year
Duluth drops below 20°F on 72 more days per year than Boston.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
73 / 100
2.0 pts ahead of Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
4 routes
99 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
282k metro
Boston has 5.6x more events per month than Duluth.
the verdict
4
Boston
categories won
4
Duluth
categories won
Boston wins on weather, Duluth wins on money. Dead even.
run your numbers
How far does your Boston salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works