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→Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City sits in a bowl of mountains so close you can be at a ski lift in 30 minutes. The grid is laid out from Temple Square in clean numbered streets that make navigation almost too easy. The Great Salt Lake glints west, the Wasatch towers east, and the city itself has loosened up into a real food and bar scene in the last decade. The powder really is that light.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,608/mo
$1,537/mo less than Boston (96%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$584k
$187k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
4.7%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,338/mo
Salt Lake City has $1,566/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
168 days
8 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
23 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
33 days
days below 20°F per year
Salt Lake City has 21 more days above 95°F each year than Boston.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
78 / 100
7.0 pts ahead of Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
90 routes
13 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
1.3M metro
Boston has 2.7x more events per month than Salt Lake City.
the verdict
2
Boston
categories won
6
Salt Lake City
categories won
Salt Lake City leads on money and wins overall.
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