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→Indianapolis
Indianapolis circles its downtown with a literal loop (the Mile Square) and hosts the Indy 500 every Memorial Day weekend like clockwork. Basketball is woven into the state DNA (Hoosiers, the movie, is essentially a documentary). The Cultural Trail connects six districts on bike-friendly paths through the heart of downtown. The food scene has quietly leveled up.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,511/mo
$1,634/mo less than Boston (108%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$296k
$475k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,572/mo
Indianapolis has $1,800/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
174 days
14 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
30 days
days below 20°F per year
Indianapolis edges ahead on pleasant days, but both cities have comparable comfort overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
62 / 100
9.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
35 routes
68 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
2.1M metro
Boston has 1.9x more events per month than Indianapolis.
the verdict
2
Boston
categories won
5
Indianapolis
categories won
Indianapolis wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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