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→Ocala
Ocala is the horse capital of the world (it actually has more thoroughbred horses than Lexington, Kentucky), with rolling hills of horse farms unlike anywhere else in Florida. Silver Springs (one of the largest artesian springs in the world) is right next door, with glass-bottom boats and clear blue water. Surprisingly hilly. Slower than the coastal cities, with a quietly strong equestrian economy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,616/mo
$1,529/mo less than Boston (95%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$277k
$494k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,717/mo
Ocala has $1,945/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
208 days
48 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
15 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Ocala has 13 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 33 more days per year than Ocala.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
62 / 100
9.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
5 routes
98 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
410k metro
Boston has 168.0x more events per month than Ocala.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
6
Ocala
categories won
Ocala wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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