01 · the cities
Columbus
Columbus is Ohio State on autumn Saturdays (the Horseshoe holds 100,000+ and they all wear scarlet), German Village's cobblestone streets and brick cottages, and a Short North gallery scene that punches well above its weight. It's quietly become a test market for the rest of America because the demographics line up so neatly. The food scene leans young, weird, and good. 'Buckeyes' here can mean either the football team or the chocolate-peanut-butter candy.
full dispatch→Lexington
Lexington is the Thoroughbred horse capital of the world, with bluegrass-fed horse farms surrounding the city in white-fenced perfection. Keeneland racetrack is one of the most beautiful in the world. The bourbon trail starts right here. Downtown is small but tightening up nicely with food and bars. The University of Kentucky's blue bleeds through everything.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,511/mo
$1,488/mo
Median home price
Median home price
$350k
$324k
$25k less than Columbus
State income tax
State income tax
4.0%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,490/mo
$6,470/mo
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
171 days
171 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
29 days
19 days
days below 20°F per year
Columbus drops below 20°F on 10 more days per year than Lexington.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
57 / 100
60 / 100
3.0 pts ahead of Columbus
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
32 routes
13 routes
19 fewer direct routes than Columbus
Metro size
Metro size
2.2M metro
520k metro
Columbus has 2.8x more events per month than Lexington.
the verdict
3
Columbus
categories won
3
Lexington
categories won
Columbus wins on money, Lexington wins on weather. Dead even.
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