landable/cost of living comparison
vs

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

Fayetteville

Fayetteville is the University of Arkansas, Razorback football (call those hogs), and the Ozark mountains rising right outside town. The Walmart and Tyson HQ are in nearby Bentonville, which has reshaped the region's economy. The downtown square farmers market is one of the country's best. The food scene has grown up fast. Surprising for the region.

full dispatch

02 · the money

Median rent

$3,145/mo

$1,606/mo

$1,539/mo less than Boston (96%)

Median home price

$771k

$367k

$403k less than Boston

State income tax

5.0%

4.4%

Gross left after rent

$4,772/mo

$6,361/mo

Fayetteville has $1,589/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

160 days

170 days

10 more than Boston

Extreme heat days

2 days

16 days

days above 95°F per year

Extreme cold days

33 days

14 days

days below 20°F per year

Fayetteville has 14 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 19 more days per year than Fayetteville.

04 · the life

OutdoorScore

71 / 100

64 / 100

7.0 pts behind Boston

Walk Score®

98 / 100

82 / 100

16 pts behind Boston

Nonstop flights

103 routes

14 routes

89 fewer direct routes than Boston

Metro size

4.9M metro

590k metro

Boston has 21.0x more events per month than Fayetteville.

the verdict

3

Boston

categories won

of 9

6

Fayetteville

categories won

Fayetteville wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.

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We use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.

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