01 · the cities
Kingsport
Kingsport is a planned 'model city' built by the Eastman Chemical Company in the early 1900s, with a downtown laid out in deliberate grids and the company still dominating the local economy. It's in the Tri-Cities area (with Bristol and Johnson City), tucked into the Appalachian foothills. Bays Mountain Park and the South Fork Holston River give it strong outdoor access. Quietly orderly.
full dispatch→Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge is LSU football, the Mississippi River bending past downtown, and the kind of food (gumbo, jambalaya, boudin, po'boys) that makes you want to lie down after lunch. The Louisiana state capitol is the tallest in the country, a 34-story Art Deco tower that looks more like a Manhattan office building. Cajun warmth runs through everything, with a slightly more buttoned-up daily pace than New Orleans.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,383/mo
$1,361/mo
Median home price
Median home price
$244k
$250k
$6k more than Kingsport
State income tax
State income tax
0%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,950/mo
$6,722/mo
Kingsport has $228/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
188 days
187 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
25 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
15 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
Baton Rouge has 24 more days above 95°F each year than Kingsport. Kingsport drops below 20°F on 14 more days per year than Baton Rouge.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
59 / 100
50 / 100
9.0 pts behind Kingsport
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
4 routes
Metro size
Metro size
312k metro
874k metro
Kingsport has 1.9x fewer events per month than Baton Rouge.
the verdict
5
Kingsport
categories won
1
Baton Rouge
categories won
Kingsport wins this comparison, leading on money and lifestyle.
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