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→Lexington
Lexington is the Thoroughbred horse capital of the world, with bluegrass-fed horse farms surrounding the city in white-fenced perfection. Keeneland racetrack is one of the most beautiful in the world. The bourbon trail starts right here. Downtown is small but tightening up nicely with food and bars. The University of Kentucky's blue bleeds through everything.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,488/mo
$1,657/mo less than Boston (111%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$324k
$446k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,470/mo
Lexington has $1,698/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
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
19 days
days below 20°F per year
Boston drops below 20°F on 14 more days per year than Lexington.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
60 / 100
11.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
13 routes
90 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
520k metro
Boston has 4.0x more events per month than Lexington.
the verdict
2
Boston
categories won
6
Lexington
categories won
Lexington wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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