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→Hagerstown
Hagerstown is the Hub City of western Maryland, where rail lines and highways converge in the Cumberland Valley. The downtown has a small but charming historic core. Antietam Battlefield is 30 minutes south, with some of the most affecting Civil War landscape in the country. The Appalachian Trail crosses just to the west. Quiet, with serious history nearby.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,587/mo
$1,558/mo less than Boston (98%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$321k
$450k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
8.2%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,063/mo
Hagerstown has $1,291/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
160 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
6 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
24 days
days below 20°F per year
Boston drops below 20°F on 9 more days per year than Hagerstown.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
56 / 100
15.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
2 routes
101 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
305k metro
Boston has 9.3x more events per month than Hagerstown.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
4
Hagerstown
categories won
Hagerstown wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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