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→Durham
Durham is Duke University, old tobacco warehouses turned into incredible restaurants and breweries (the American Tobacco Campus is a model for adaptive reuse), and a food scene that punches way above its size (multiple James Beard winners). Bull City pride runs deep. The Eno River and Duke Gardens are right in town. It's more diverse, weirder, and more interesting than outsiders expect.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,790/mo
$1,684/mo
$106/mo less than Nashville (6%)
Median home price
Median home price
$461k
$415k
$46k less than Nashville
State income tax
State income tax
0%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,543/mo
$6,274/mo
Nashville has $269/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
178 days
5 more than Nashville
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
4 days
19 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
8 days
5 days
days below 20°F per year
Durham has 15 more days above 95°F each year than Nashville.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
56 / 100
50 / 100
6.0 pts behind Nashville
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
47 routes
39 routes
8 fewer direct routes than Nashville
Metro size
Metro size
2.1M metro
609k metro
Nashville has 8.1x more events per month than Durham.
the verdict
5
Nashville
categories won
3
Durham
categories won
Nashville leads on lifestyle and wins overall.
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