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→San Antonio
San Antonio wraps the River Walk through downtown like a Venetian canal trail (much shorter, but lined with mariachi and margaritas). The Alamo sits in the middle of it all, the five Spanish missions are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the puffy tacos are unlike Tex-Mex anywhere else. Fiesta in April is essentially a 10-day citywide block party. It's bigger and prouder than outsiders expect.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,394/mo
$1,751/mo less than Boston (126%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$280k
$490k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,939/mo
San Antonio has $2,167/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
167 days
7 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
59 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
San Antonio has 57 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 33 more days per year than San Antonio.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
49 / 100
22.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
35 routes
68 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
2.7M metro
Boston has 1.5x more events per month than San Antonio.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
6
San Antonio
categories won
San Antonio wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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