01 · the cities
Lubbock
Lubbock is Texas Tech, Buddy Holly's hometown (the museum downtown is a delight), and the heart of West Texas cotton country. The flatness goes on forever, the sunsets are huge, and the wide sky makes every night feel like a planetarium. The food scene leans BBQ and Tex-Mex. The Llano Estacado wine region is right outside town. Friendly and quietly cool.
full dispatch→Columbus
Columbus is on the Chattahoochee River, with the longest urban whitewater course in the world (since 2013) running right through downtown for rafting and surfing waves. Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning) is the city's anchor. The Riverwalk stretches for miles. The downtown has come back nicely with restaurants and breweries. Smaller and friendlier than the city's industrial reputation suggests.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,384/mo
$1,264/mo
$120/mo less than Lubbock (9%)
Median home price
Median home price
$211k
$208k
State income tax
State income tax
0%
5.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,949/mo
$6,612/mo
Lubbock has $337/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
186 days
177 days
9 fewer than Lubbock
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
61 days
39 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
7 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Lubbock has 22 more days above 95°F each year than Columbus. Lubbock drops below 20°F on 5 more days per year than Columbus.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
5 / 100
47 / 100
42.0 pts ahead of Lubbock
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
7 routes
1 routes
6 fewer direct routes than Lubbock
Metro size
Metro size
360k metro
329k metro
Lubbock has 2.9x fewer events per month than Columbus.
the verdict
4
Lubbock
categories won
4
Columbus
categories won
Lubbock wins on money, Columbus wins on weather. Dead even.
run your numbers
How far does your Lubbock salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works