01 · the cities
Lexington
Lexington is the Thoroughbred horse capital of the world, with bluegrass-fed horse farms surrounding the city in white-fenced perfection. Keeneland racetrack is one of the most beautiful in the world. The bourbon trail starts right here. Downtown is small but tightening up nicely with food and bars. The University of Kentucky's blue bleeds through everything.
full dispatch→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→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,488/mo
$1,374/mo
$114/mo less than Lexington (8%)
Median home price
Median home price
$324k
$316k
$9k less than Lexington
State income tax
State income tax
4.5%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,470/mo
$6,543/mo
Huntsville has $73/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
171 days
177 days
6 more than Lexington
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
13 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
19 days
6 days
days below 20°F per year
Huntsville has 12 more days above 95°F each year than Lexington. Lexington drops below 20°F on 13 more days per year than Huntsville.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
60 / 100
58 / 100
2.0 pts behind Lexington
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
13 routes
9 routes
4 fewer direct routes than Lexington
Metro size
Metro size
520k metro
527k metro
Lexington has 1.3x more events per month than Huntsville.
the verdict
4
Lexington
categories won
5
Huntsville
categories won
Huntsville wins on money and weather. Lexington has the edge on lifestyle.
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