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→Kansas City
Kansas City is barbecue (burnt ends are a local invention), jazz (the 18th and Vine district fed Charlie Parker and Count Basie), and fountains everywhere you turn. The city straddles two states and doesn't make a big deal out of it. The Plaza shopping district looks like Seville, which is delightfully odd for the Midwest. Friendly here means genuinely friendly.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,502/mo
$1,643/mo less than Boston (109%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$326k
$445k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
4.7%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,440/mo
Kansas City has $1,668/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
170 days
10 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
8 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
26 days
days below 20°F per year
Kansas City has 6 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 7 more days per year than Kansas City.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
56 / 100
15.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
43 routes
60 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
2.2M metro
Boston has 2.0x more events per month than Kansas City.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
6
Kansas City
categories won
Kansas City wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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