01 · the cities
Provo
Provo is BYU and the Mormon culture's center of gravity, with a downtown that's quieter than most college towns (no Saturday football beer crowds here). The Wasatch Mountains rise right behind it, with Sundance ski resort 30 minutes up the canyon. Provo Canyon and Bridal Veil Falls are summer go-tos. The tech scene (Qualtrics, Domo) has reshaped the local economy. Beautiful in a calm, ordered way.
full dispatch→Baltimore
Baltimore is steamed crabs with Old Bay, the Inner Harbor at golden hour, and row houses with painted screens. Edgar Allan Poe is buried here, John Waters still lives here, and Cal Ripken Jr. is a saint. The seafood is genuinely some of the best on the east coast. The neighborhoods (Fells Point, Hampden, Federal Hill) each feel like their own small town.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,743/mo
$1,868/mo
$125/mo more than Provo (7%)
Median home price
Median home price
$559k
$412k
$147k less than Provo
State income tax
State income tax
4.7%
8.2%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,203/mo
$5,782/mo
Provo has $421/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
171 days
168 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
12 days
4 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
44 days
21 days
days below 20°F per year
Provo has 8 more days above 95°F each year than Baltimore. Provo drops below 20°F on 23 more days per year than Baltimore.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
81 / 100
66 / 100
15.0 pts behind Provo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
91 routes
72 routes
19 fewer direct routes than Provo
Metro size
Metro size
733k metro
2.8M metro
Provo has 67.0x fewer events per month than Baltimore.
the verdict
5
Provo
categories won
3
Baltimore
categories won
Provo wins on money and lifestyle. Baltimore has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
How far does your Provo salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works