01 · the cities
Providence
Providence is what a college town looks like wearing a former industrial capital's old leather jacket. Brown and RISD pour creatives in by the thousand, Federal Hill has been feeding them red sauce since forever, and on summer nights WaterFire literally lights bonfires up and down the river. It's cheap enough that Boston refugees actually stay. The state capitol has the fourth-largest self-supporting marble dome in the world, and you'll be told within an hour of arrival.
full dispatch→Worcester
Worcester (pronounced 'WOO-stuh', please) is triple-deckers, classic American diners (the city helped invent the diner), and a college-heavy student population (Clark, Holy Cross, WPI, and a dozen more). The smiley face was invented here in 1963. It's central Massachusetts' working-class anchor and quietly gaining a real food scene. Cheaper than Boston, an hour away when you need it.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,127/mo
$2,140/mo
Median home price
Median home price
$528k
$486k
$42k less than Providence
State income tax
State income tax
6.0%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,707/mo
$5,777/mo
Worcester has $70/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
159 days
148 days
11 fewer than Providence
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
35 days
55 days
days below 20°F per year
Worcester drops below 20°F on 20 more days per year than Providence.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
63 / 100
59 / 100
4.0 pts behind Providence
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
17 routes
2 routes
15 fewer direct routes than Providence
Metro size
Metro size
1.7M metro
867k metro
Providence has 1.4x fewer events per month than Worcester.
the verdict
4
Providence
categories won
3
Worcester
categories won
Providence wins on weather and lifestyle. Worcester has the edge on money.
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