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→Montgomery
Montgomery is civil rights ground zero: Rosa Parks' bus, the start of the Selma march, Dr. King's Dexter Avenue church. The Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice (the lynching memorial) are essential and devastating in equal measure. The city is also the Alabama state capital, with the river curving past, and the food and music scenes have grown up in the last decade. Heavy and beautiful.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,376/mo
$1,769/mo less than Boston (129%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$212k
$559k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,541/mo
Montgomery has $1,769/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
181 days
21 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
29 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
Montgomery has 27 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 32 more days per year than Montgomery.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
44 / 100
27.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
3 routes
100 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
385k metro
Boston has 5.3x more events per month than Montgomery.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
5
Montgomery
categories won
Montgomery wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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