01 · the cities
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→Tallahassee
Tallahassee feels more like south Georgia than Florida: oak canopies, rolling hills, and red clay. It's the state capital, home to Florida State (Seminole football is a religion) and FAMU, and surrounded by some of the best springs in the country (Wakulla and Wakulla Springs State Park are 20 minutes south). The food scene leans southern with serious Cuban influence. Cooler in summer than the rest of the state.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,374/mo
$1,527/mo
$153/mo more than Huntsville (10%)
Median home price
Median home price
$316k
$289k
$27k less than Huntsville
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,543/mo
$6,806/mo
Tallahassee has $263/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
177 days
186 days
9 more than Huntsville
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
13 days
35 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
6 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Tallahassee has 22 more days above 95°F each year than Huntsville. Huntsville drops below 20°F on 6 more days per year than Tallahassee.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
58 / 100
58 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
9 routes
7 routes
Metro size
Metro size
527k metro
393k metro
Huntsville has 16.0x more events per month than Tallahassee.
the verdict
2
Huntsville
categories won
5
Tallahassee
categories won
Tallahassee leads on money and weather and wins overall.
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