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→Provo
Provo is BYU and the Mormon culture's center of gravity, with a downtown that's quieter than most college towns (no Saturday football beer crowds here). The Wasatch Mountains rise right behind it, with Sundance ski resort 30 minutes up the canyon. Provo Canyon and Bridal Veil Falls are summer go-tos. The tech scene (Qualtrics, Domo) has reshaped the local economy. Beautiful in a calm, ordered way.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,743/mo
$1,402/mo less than Boston (80%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$559k
$212k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
4.7%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,203/mo
Provo has $1,431/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
171 days
11 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
12 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
44 days
days below 20°F per year
Provo has 10 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Provo drops below 20°F on 11 more days per year than Boston.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
81 / 100
10.0 pts ahead of Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
91 routes
12 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
733k metro
Boston has 168.0x more events per month than Provo.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
6
Provo
categories won
Provo wins on money. Boston has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
How far does your Boston salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works