01 · the cities
Fresno
Fresno sits at the heart of the most productive farm region in the world, with almonds, grapes, and stone fruit stretching to every horizon. It's the gateway to Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon (three of the country's best national parks all under two hours away). The food scene leans on incredible local produce and a deep Mexican and Hmong food culture. Underrated.
full dispatch→Springfield
Springfield is where basketball was invented in 1891 (the Basketball Hall of Fame is right here), and where Dr. Seuss grew up (there's a sculpture garden downtown). The city's old industrial buildings are slowly coming back, and the surrounding Pioneer Valley is one of the prettiest stretches in New England. UMass is just up the road. Quieter than Boston, much cheaper.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,999/mo
$1,913/mo
$86/mo less than Fresno (4%)
Median home price
Median home price
$418k
$373k
$45k less than Fresno
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,559/mo
$6,004/mo
Springfield has $445/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
206 days
147 days
59 fewer than Fresno
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
107 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
47 days
days below 20°F per year
Fresno has 106 more days above 95°F each year than Springfield. Springfield drops below 20°F on 47 more days per year than Fresno.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
66 / 100
66 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
11 routes
26 routes
15 more direct routes than Fresno
Metro size
Metro size
1.2M metro
460k metro
Fresno has 6.3x more events per month than Springfield.
the verdict
2
Fresno
categories won
6
Springfield
categories won
Springfield wins on money and lifestyle. Fresno has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
How far does your Fresno 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