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→Kansas City
Kansas City is barbecue (burnt ends are a local invention), jazz (the 18th and Vine district fed Charlie Parker and Count Basie), and fountains everywhere you turn. The city straddles two states and doesn't make a big deal out of it. The Plaza shopping district looks like Seville, which is delightfully odd for the Midwest. Friendly here means genuinely friendly.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,790/mo
$1,502/mo
$288/mo less than Nashville (19%)
Median home price
Median home price
$461k
$326k
$135k less than Nashville
State income tax
State income tax
0%
4.7%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,543/mo
$6,440/mo
Nashville has $103/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
170 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
4 days
8 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
8 days
26 days
days below 20°F per year
Kansas City drops below 20°F on 18 more days per year than Nashville.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
56 / 100
56 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
47 routes
43 routes
4 fewer direct routes than Nashville
Metro size
Metro size
2.1M metro
2.2M metro
Nashville has 3.4x more events per month than Kansas City.
the verdict
4
Nashville
categories won
2
Kansas City
categories won
Nashville leads on weather and lifestyle and wins overall.
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