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→Savannah
Savannah is 22 oak-shaded squares draped in Spanish moss, ghost tours by candlelight, and shrimp and grits so good they should be regulated. The historic district is a working film set that just happens to be a real city, kept lively by SCAD students keeping the cafes weird. To-go cups of cocktails are legal in the historic district, which tells you exactly how the city wants you to spend a Saturday. The oldest art museum in the South is here too, in case you need a culture alibi.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,770/mo
$1,375/mo less than Boston (78%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$349k
$422k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
5.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,106/mo
Savannah has $1,334/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
209 days
49 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
19 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Savannah has 17 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 33 more days per year than Savannah.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
52 / 100
19.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
13 routes
90 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
425k metro
Boston has 10.5x more events per month than Savannah.
the verdict
4
Boston
categories won
5
Savannah
categories won
Savannah wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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