01 · the cities
Lancaster
Lancaster is the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country, with horse-drawn buggies on rural roads and the Central Market (the oldest continuously operating farmers market in the country, since the 1730s). The food scene is sneaky-strong, the surrounding farmland is gorgeous, and the city's downtown has come back nicely. Whoopie pies, shoofly pies, and sticky buns are mandatory.
full dispatch→Hagerstown
Hagerstown is the Hub City of western Maryland, where rail lines and highways converge in the Cumberland Valley. The downtown has a small but charming historic core. Antietam Battlefield is 30 minutes south, with some of the most affecting Civil War landscape in the country. The Appalachian Trail crosses just to the west. Quiet, with serious history nearby.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,517/mo
$1,587/mo
$70/mo more than Lancaster (4%)
Median home price
Median home price
$384k
$321k
$63k less than Lancaster
State income tax
State income tax
3.1%
8.2%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,561/mo
$6,063/mo
Lancaster has $498/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
158 days
160 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
3 days
6 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
25 days
24 days
days below 20°F per year
Lancaster and Hagerstown have remarkably similar weather profiles overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
63 / 100
56 / 100
7.0 pts behind Lancaster
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
1 routes
2 routes
Metro size
Metro size
559k metro
305k metro
Lancaster has 1.2x fewer events per month than Hagerstown.
the verdict
4
Lancaster
categories won
1
Hagerstown
categories won
Lancaster wins this comparison, leading on money and lifestyle.
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