01 · the cities
Montgomery
Montgomery is civil rights ground zero: Rosa Parks' bus, the start of the Selma march, Dr. King's Dexter Avenue church. The Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice (the lynching memorial) are essential and devastating in equal measure. The city is also the Alabama state capital, with the river curving past, and the food and music scenes have grown up in the last decade. Heavy and beautiful.
full dispatch→Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne sits where three rivers meet (the St. Joseph, the St. Marys, and the Maumee), and the riverfront has been transforming into a real public space. The Children's Zoo is consistently ranked among the country's best. It's the second-largest city in Indiana, with the friendly small-town feel still intact. Cheap, easy, and quietly improving.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,376/mo
$1,187/mo
$189/mo less than Montgomery (16%)
Median home price
Median home price
$212k
$254k
$42k more than Montgomery
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,541/mo
$6,896/mo
Fort Wayne has $355/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
181 days
161 days
20 fewer than Montgomery
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
29 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
1 days
38 days
days below 20°F per year
Montgomery has 29 more days above 95°F each year than Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne drops below 20°F on 37 more days per year than Montgomery.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
44 / 100
46 / 100
2.0 pts ahead of Montgomery
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
10 routes
7 more direct routes than Montgomery
Metro size
Metro size
385k metro
458k metro
Montgomery has 1.5x more events per month than Fort Wayne.
the verdict
3
Montgomery
categories won
6
Fort Wayne
categories won
Fort Wayne wins on money and lifestyle. Montgomery has the edge on weather.
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