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→Portland
Portland is food carts, bridges, donuts shaped like Voodoo dolls, and a low-key obsession with doing things the hard, hand-made way. The 'Keep Portland Weird' bumper sticker is older than most of the influencers who quote it. Mt. Hood pops into view between buildings on clear mornings, and the bike infrastructure puts most American cities to shame. Coffee here is treated like wine.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,781/mo
$1,364/mo less than Boston (77%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$562k
$208k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
8.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$5,823/mo
Portland has $1,051/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
178 days
18 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
7 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Portland has 5 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 31 more days per year than Portland.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
87 / 100
16.0 pts ahead of Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
57 routes
46 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
2.5M metro
Boston has 1.4x more events per month than Portland.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
6
Portland
categories won
Portland leads on money and weather and wins overall.
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