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→Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne sits where three rivers meet (the St. Joseph, the St. Marys, and the Maumee), and the riverfront has been transforming into a real public space. The Children's Zoo is consistently ranked among the country's best. It's the second-largest city in Indiana, with the friendly small-town feel still intact. Cheap, easy, and quietly improving.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,187/mo
$1,958/mo less than Boston (165%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$254k
$517k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,896/mo
Fort Wayne has $2,124/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
161 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
38 days
days below 20°F per year
Fort Wayne drops below 20°F on 5 more days per year than Boston.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
46 / 100
25.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
10 routes
93 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
458k metro
Boston has 8.0x more events per month than Fort Wayne.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
4
Fort Wayne
categories won
Fort Wayne wins on money. Boston has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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