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→Houston
Houston has no zoning laws (you'll see a taco truck next to a mansion next to a strip mall), the most diverse food scene in America by most rankings, and NASA's mission control out on the edge of town. The Texas Medical Center is the largest in the world. It's sprawling and culturally enormous, with a Vietnamese pho district, Nigerian jollof spots, and a Tex-Mex scene that takes itself seriously. Bigger than you think, in every direction.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,610/mo
$1,535/mo less than Boston (95%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$311k
$460k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,723/mo
Houston has $1,951/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
171 days
11 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
54 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
Houston has 52 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 32 more days per year than Houston.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
55 / 100
16.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
176 routes
73 more direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
7.5M metro
Boston has 1.3x fewer events per month than Houston.
the verdict
2
Boston
categories won
7
Houston
categories won
Houston leads on money and weather and wins overall.
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