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→Salem
Salem is the Oregon state capital, smaller and quieter than Portland (less than an hour north), with the Willamette River running through downtown and the surrounding Willamette Valley producing some of the best Pinot Noir in the world. The state capitol is topped by a gold-leaf pioneer statue. Cherry blossoms line the riverfront every spring. Affordable and underrated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,642/mo
$1,503/mo less than Boston (92%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$452k
$319k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
8.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$5,962/mo
Salem has $1,190/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
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
Boston drops below 20°F on 32 more days per year than Salem.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
69 / 100
2.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
0 routes
103 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
437k metro
Boston has 168.0x more events per month than Salem.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
5
Salem
categories won
Salem wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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