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→Salisbury
Salisbury is the unofficial capital of Maryland's Eastern Shore, home to Perdue Farms' headquarters (yes, the chicken company), and a quick drive to Ocean City beaches. The Wicomico River runs past, the Salisbury Zoo (free) is a sleeper good time, and the surrounding Chesapeake Bay landscape is gorgeous. Slower-paced, water-oriented, and underrated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,899/mo
$1,246/mo less than Boston (66%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$420k
$351k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
8.2%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$5,751/mo
Salisbury has $979/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
189 days
29 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
10 days
days below 20°F per year
Boston drops below 20°F on 23 more days per year than Salisbury.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
53 / 100
18.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
2 routes
101 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
130k metro
Boston has 14.0x more events per month than Salisbury.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
5
Salisbury
categories won
Salisbury wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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