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→Hickory
Hickory is North Carolina's furniture capital, with the Hickory Furniture Mart and the surrounding factories shaping the local economy. The downtown has come back nicely with breweries and a walkable feel. The Blue Ridge foothills start just outside town. Lake Hickory is right there for boating. Cheaper than the bigger NC cities, with mountain access an hour away.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,434/mo
$1,711/mo less than Boston (119%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$268k
$503k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,524/mo
Hickory has $1,752/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
11 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
4 days
days below 20°F per year
Hickory has 9 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 29 more days per year than Hickory.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
64 / 100
7.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
0 routes
103 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
370k metro
Boston has 8.8x more events per month than Hickory.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
6
Hickory
categories won
Hickory wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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