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→Shreveport
Shreveport sits on the Red River in the Ark-La-Tex corner, with riverboat casinos lining the waterfront and a food scene that runs Cajun, Creole, and serious smoked meats. The Mardi Gras parades here are smaller than New Orleans but just as enthusiastic. Texas is 20 minutes west, which gives the city a regional crossroads feel. Quieter and cheaper than the bigger Louisiana metros.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,308/mo
$1,837/mo less than Boston (140%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$176k
$595k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,775/mo
Shreveport has $2,003/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
159 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
50 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Shreveport has 48 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 31 more days per year than Shreveport.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
56 / 100
15.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
5 routes
98 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
383k metro
Boston has 168.0x more events per month than Shreveport.
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
5
Shreveport
categories won
Shreveport wins on money. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
run your numbers
How far does your Boston salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works