01 · the cities
Portland
Portland Maine is lobster rolls, lighthouses (Portland Head Light is the brochure), a working waterfront where fishing boats still come in, and a food scene that has the same per-capita acclaim as the much bigger Portland Oregon. The Old Port's brick streets, breweries, and harbor views are walkable in an afternoon. Casco Bay's islands are a ferry ride away. Tiny, dense, and seriously delicious.
full dispatch→New Haven
New Haven invented apizza (that's a-PEETS, the local New Haven Italian style), and Frank Pepe's claims the white clam pie as their original. Yale anchors the city with its Gothic spires and museums (the Yale University Art Gallery is free and exceptional). The Long Island Sound is right there, and the city's a 90-minute train ride to Grand Central. Pizza-pilgrimage worthy on its own.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,285/mo
$2,089/mo
$196/mo less than Portland (9%)
Median home price
Median home price
$543k
$424k
$119k less than Portland
State income tax
State income tax
7.5%
5.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,423/mo
$5,786/mo
New Haven has $363/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
145 days
155 days
10 more than Portland
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
19 days
40 days
days below 20°F per year
New Haven drops below 20°F on 21 more days per year than Portland.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
67 / 100
4.0 pts behind Portland
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
1 routes
Metro size
Metro size
566k metro
568k metro
Portland has 1.7x more events per month than New Haven.
the verdict
2
Portland
categories won
5
New Haven
categories won
New Haven wins on money. Portland has the edge on lifestyle.
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