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→Lansing
Lansing is the Michigan state capital, Michigan State (East Lansing is essentially a continuation), and old auto industry roots that have softened into a quieter mid-sized city. The Grand River curves through downtown. The Capitol building is one of the prettier state capitols you'll see. Cheap, friendly, and a quick drive to Lake Michigan beaches.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,259/mo
$1,886/mo less than Boston (150%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$244k
$527k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
4.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,720/mo
Lansing has $1,948/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
153 days
7 fewer 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
52 days
days below 20°F per year
Lansing drops below 20°F on 19 more days per year than Boston.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
57 / 100
14.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
6 routes
97 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
473k metro
Boston has 9.3x more events per month than Lansing.
the verdict
4
Boston
categories won
4
Lansing
categories won
Boston wins on weather and lifestyle, Lansing wins on money. Dead even.
run your numbers
How far does your Boston salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works