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→Durham
Durham is Duke University, old tobacco warehouses turned into incredible restaurants and breweries (the American Tobacco Campus is a model for adaptive reuse), and a food scene that punches way above its size (multiple James Beard winners). Bull City pride runs deep. The Eno River and Duke Gardens are right in town. It's more diverse, weirder, and more interesting than outsiders expect.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,684/mo
$1,461/mo less than Boston (87%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$415k
$356k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,274/mo
Durham has $1,502/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
178 days
18 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
19 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
5 days
days below 20°F per year
Durham has 17 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 28 more days per year than Durham.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
50 / 100
21.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
39 routes
64 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
609k metro
Boston has 4.8x more events per month than Durham.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
6
Durham
categories won
Durham wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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