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→Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach is the Grand Strand's anchor, with 60 miles of beach, more than 80 mini golf courses (it might be the mini golf capital of America), and a boardwalk packed with arcades and pancake houses. Calabash-style fried seafood is a thing. It's a family beach town, full stop, with affordable oceanfront and easy access to Charleston a few hours south.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,727/mo
$1,418/mo less than Boston (82%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$361k
$410k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,065/mo
Myrtle Beach has $1,293/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
249 days
89 more 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
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Boston drops below 20°F on 33 more days per year than Myrtle Beach.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
58 / 100
13.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
23 routes
80 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
397k metro
Boston has 7.3x more events per month than Myrtle Beach.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
5
Myrtle Beach
categories won
Myrtle Beach wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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