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's life revolves around Fort Liberty (recently renamed from Fort Bragg), one of the largest military installations in the world. The Cape Fear River runs past, the airborne and special operations museum is excellent, and the food scene reflects the international military families that cycle through. Southern, military, and friendly. Quieter than the big NC cities.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,477/mo
$1,668/mo less than Boston (113%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$258k
$513k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,481/mo
Fayetteville has $1,709/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
193 days
33 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
14 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
3 days
days below 20°F per year
Fayetteville has 12 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 30 more days per year than Fayetteville.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
51 / 100
20.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
4 routes
99 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
392k metro
Boston has 11.2x more events per month than Fayetteville.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
6
Fayetteville
categories won
Fayetteville wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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