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 Diego
San Diego is the city most Californians secretly wish they lived in: 70°F, sunny, and a beach for every mood. Fish tacos are religion, Balboa Park is bigger than Central Park and packed with museums, and the craft beer scene is one of the best in the country. The zoo is world-famous and the burritos are aggressively underrated. Even the freeways feel relaxed here.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$2,890/mo
$255/mo less than Boston (9%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$1.0M
$240k more than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
9.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$4,668/mo
Boston has $104/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
332 days
172 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 San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
75 / 100
4.0 pts ahead of Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
55 routes
48 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
3.3M metro
Boston and San Diego have similar event volume.
the verdict
4
Boston
categories won
4
San Diego
categories won
Boston wins on money, San Diego wins on weather. Dead even.
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