01 · the cities
Nashville
Nashville is honky-tonk neon on Broadway, hot chicken so spicy it counts as a personality test, and a music scene that includes way more than country (though country is the headliner). The Ryman Auditorium is still the most acoustically beloved room in American music. Bachelorette parties on pedal taverns are now a recognized weather pattern. Pack stretchy pants for the biscuits.
full dispatch→Columbus
Columbus is Ohio State on autumn Saturdays (the Horseshoe holds 100,000+ and they all wear scarlet), German Village's cobblestone streets and brick cottages, and a Short North gallery scene that punches well above its weight. It's quietly become a test market for the rest of America because the demographics line up so neatly. The food scene leans young, weird, and good. 'Buckeyes' here can mean either the football team or the chocolate-peanut-butter candy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,790/mo
$1,511/mo
$279/mo less than Nashville (18%)
Median home price
Median home price
$461k
$350k
$111k less than Nashville
State income tax
State income tax
0%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,543/mo
$6,490/mo
Nashville has $53/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
173 days
171 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
4 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
8 days
29 days
days below 20°F per year
Columbus drops below 20°F on 21 more days per year than Nashville.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
56 / 100
57 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
47 routes
32 routes
15 fewer direct routes than Nashville
Metro size
Metro size
2.1M metro
2.2M metro
Nashville has 2.4x more events per month than Columbus.
the verdict
4
Nashville
categories won
2
Columbus
categories won
Nashville leads on weather and lifestyle and wins overall.
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