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→Richmond
Richmond is one of the only major U.S. cities with class IV whitewater rapids running right through downtown. The James River's Belle Isle is a public park where people sunbathe on boulders mid-river. The Fan and Carytown neighborhoods are full of murals, vintage shops, and porches built for sitting. The food scene leans creative, the beer scene leans plentiful, and VCU keeps the arts energy buzzing.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,691/mo
$1,454/mo less than Boston (86%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$394k
$377k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
5.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,163/mo
Richmond has $1,391/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
172 days
12 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
18 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
9 days
days below 20°F per year
Richmond has 16 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 24 more days per year than Richmond.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
65 / 100
6.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
19 routes
84 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
1.4M metro
Boston has 2.9x more events per month than Richmond.
the verdict
4
Boston
categories won
5
Richmond
categories won
Richmond wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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