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→Reno
Reno calls itself the Biggest Little City in the World and means it: casinos and neon, sure, but also a quietly cool downtown, a strong outdoor culture (Tahoe is 45 minutes south), and the Truckee River running right through the middle of everything. The University of Nevada keeps things young. Burning Man buses depart from here every August. Sunnier and drier than people expect.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,908/mo
$1,237/mo less than Boston (65%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$574k
$197k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,425/mo
Reno has $1,653/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
201 days
41 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
4 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
28 days
days below 20°F per year
Boston drops below 20°F on 5 more days per year than Reno.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
71 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
13 routes
90 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
565k metro
Boston has 1.6x more events per month than Reno.
the verdict
1
Boston
categories won
6
Reno
categories won
Reno wins this comparison, leading on money and weather.
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