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→Greensboro
Greensboro was the site of the 1960 Woolworth sit-in (the original lunch counter is preserved at the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, downtown). Four major colleges feed the city, the food scene leans BBQ and good coffee, and the surrounding Piedmont rolls gently in every direction. It's the geographic center of North Carolina, which makes it a useful base for everything else in the state.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,428/mo
$1,717/mo less than Boston (120%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$269k
$502k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,530/mo
Greensboro has $1,758/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
189 days
29 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
8 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
6 days
days below 20°F per year
Greensboro has 6 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 27 more days per year than Greensboro.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
54 / 100
17.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
14 routes
89 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
790k metro
Boston has 3.4x more events per month than Greensboro.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
6
Greensboro
categories won
Greensboro wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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