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→Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the Pennsylvania state capital sitting on the Susquehanna River, with a gorgeous Beaux-Arts capitol building (Theodore Roosevelt called it the handsomest building he ever saw). City Island in the middle of the river is a small park with minor league baseball. Hershey is 15 minutes east (yes, that Hershey). Slower-paced than its metro neighbors.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,446/mo
$1,699/mo less than Boston (117%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$309k
$462k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,632/mo
Harrisburg has $1,860/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
152 days
8 fewer than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
33 days
days below 20°F per year
Boston and Harrisburg have remarkably similar weather profiles overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
69 / 100
2.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
12 routes
91 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
606k metro
Boston has 5.1x more events per month than Harrisburg.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
4
Harrisburg
categories won
Harrisburg wins on money. Boston has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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