01 · the cities
El Paso
El Paso has the Franklin Mountains running right through the middle of the city (which is rare), with hiking trails inside city limits and the desert wide open just past the suburbs. The Mexican food is exceptional in ways that the rest of Texas doesn't quite match (it's true regional border food). Ciudad Juarez is literally next door across the Rio Grande. The light at sunset is unreal.
full dispatch→Huntsville
Huntsville is Rocket City, with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the Saturn V rocket on display at the Space and Rocket Center, and a tech and engineering economy that punches way above the city's size. Cummings Research Park is the second-largest research park in the U.S. The Tennessee River and Monte Sano State Park give it a quiet outdoor side. Affordable and surprisingly smart.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,473/mo
$1,374/mo
$99/mo less than El Paso (7%)
Median home price
Median home price
$231k
$316k
$84k more than El Paso
State income tax
State income tax
0%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,860/mo
$6,543/mo
El Paso has $317/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
222 days
177 days
45 fewer than El Paso
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
60 days
13 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
1 days
6 days
days below 20°F per year
El Paso has 47 more days above 95°F each year than Huntsville. Huntsville drops below 20°F on 5 more days per year than El Paso.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
65 / 100
58 / 100
7.0 pts behind El Paso
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
13 routes
9 routes
4 fewer direct routes than El Paso
Metro size
Metro size
872k metro
527k metro
El Paso and Huntsville have similar event volume.
the verdict
7
El Paso
categories won
2
Huntsville
categories won
El Paso leads on money and weather and lifestyle and wins overall.
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