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→Salinas
Salinas is the Salad Bowl of the World, where most of the country's leafy greens, strawberries, and broccoli come from. John Steinbeck grew up here and the National Steinbeck Center downtown is excellent. The Salinas Rodeo is a century-old summer event. The Monterey Bay is 20 minutes west, but the city itself is a working ag town with strong Mexican-American culture.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$2,813/mo
$332/mo less than Boston (12%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$862k
$91k more than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
9.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$4,745/mo
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
335 days
175 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Boston drops below 20°F on 33 more days per year than Salinas.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
71 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
6 routes
97 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
431k metro
the verdict
4
Boston
categories won
3
Salinas
categories won
Boston wins on money and lifestyle. Salinas has the edge on weather.
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