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→Philadelphia
Philadelphia is cheesesteaks (the Pat's vs. Geno's argument is mostly theater), the Italian Market, and the Liberty Bell sitting modestly in a glass pavilion. Murals are everywhere (the city runs the largest public art program in the country). The Eagles fans climbing light poles is folklore for a reason. The food scene punches way above its weight and the bar scene knows it.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,869/mo
$1,276/mo less than Boston (68%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$393k
$378k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
6.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$5,896/mo
Philadelphia has $1,124/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
173 days
13 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
21 days
days below 20°F per year
Boston drops below 20°F on 12 more days per year than Philadelphia.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
69 / 100
2.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
122 routes
19 more direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
6.2M metro
Boston has 1.1x fewer events per month than Philadelphia.
the verdict
2
Boston
categories won
6
Philadelphia
categories won
Philadelphia leads on money and weather and wins overall.
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