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→Lubbock
Lubbock is Texas Tech, Buddy Holly's hometown (the museum downtown is a delight), and the heart of West Texas cotton country. The flatness goes on forever, the sunsets are huge, and the wide sky makes every night feel like a planetarium. The food scene leans BBQ and Tex-Mex. The Llano Estacado wine region is right outside town. Friendly and quietly cool.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,384/mo
$1,761/mo less than Boston (127%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$211k
$560k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,949/mo
Lubbock has $2,177/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
186 days
26 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
61 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
7 days
days below 20°F per year
Lubbock has 59 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 26 more days per year than Lubbock.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
5 / 100
66.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
7 routes
96 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
360k metro
Boston has 21.0x more events per month than Lubbock.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
6
Lubbock
categories won
Lubbock wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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