01 · the cities
Hartford
Hartford is the insurance capital of America (Aetna, Travelers, the works), with the steeple of the Travelers building visible from miles away. Mark Twain wrote Huckleberry Finn in his weird and wonderful Hartford house, now a museum. The Connecticut River curves past downtown, and the surrounding small towns are New England postcard material. Quieter than its neighbors, with serious history.
full dispatch→Milwaukee
Milwaukee is beer (the Pabst and Miller legacy still hangs in the air), bratwurst (with the proper amount of mustard, please), and a Lake Michigan shoreline that goes on forever. Frozen custard is a regional specialty and a serious one. The Calatrava-designed art museum has wings that literally open and close on Lake Michigan. Friendly here means you'll have a new friend by the second beer.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,931/mo
$1,504/mo
$427/mo less than Hartford (28%)
Median home price
Median home price
$411k
$394k
$17k less than Hartford
State income tax
State income tax
5.5%
6.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,944/mo
$6,307/mo
Milwaukee has $363/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
148 days
149 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
47 days
62 days
days below 20°F per year
Milwaukee drops below 20°F on 15 more days per year than Hartford.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
61 / 100
6.0 pts behind Hartford
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
26 routes
30 routes
4 more direct routes than Hartford
Metro size
Metro size
1.2M metro
1.6M metro
Hartford has 2.4x fewer events per month than Milwaukee.
the verdict
3
Hartford
categories won
4
Milwaukee
categories won
Milwaukee wins on money. Hartford has the edge on weather.
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