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→Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem is Moravian cookie traditions, old tobacco wealth (R.J. Reynolds), and Krispy Kreme's hometown (the original hot doughnut sign is still here). Old Salem is a living history Moravian village downtown. The food scene has picked up nicely, the arts scene leans on the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Slower-paced than its Triad neighbors. A little secret.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,508/mo
$1,637/mo less than Boston (109%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$283k
$488k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,450/mo
Winston-Salem has $1,678/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
186 days
26 more than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
8 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
6 days
days below 20°F per year
Winston-Salem has 6 more days above 95°F each year than Boston. Boston drops below 20°F on 27 more days per year than Winston-Salem.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
54 / 100
17.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
0 routes
103 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
696k metro
the verdict
3
Boston
categories won
6
Winston-Salem
categories won
Winston-Salem wins on money and weather. Boston has the edge on lifestyle.
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