01 · the cities
Roanoke
Roanoke is the Star City of the South, named for the enormous illuminated star on Mill Mountain that's been lighting up the valley since 1949. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs right past town. The downtown has come back beautifully with the Taubman Museum, breweries, and a thriving market. The surrounding mountains are gorgeous in every season. Smaller and more scenic than people expect.
full dispatch→Huntsville
Huntsville is Rocket City, with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the Saturn V rocket on display at the Space and Rocket Center, and a tech and engineering economy that punches way above the city's size. Cummings Research Park is the second-largest research park in the U.S. The Tennessee River and Monte Sano State Park give it a quiet outdoor side. Affordable and surprisingly smart.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,382/mo
$1,374/mo
Median home price
Median home price
$296k
$316k
$20k more than Roanoke
State income tax
State income tax
5.8%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,472/mo
$6,543/mo
Huntsville has $71/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
179 days
177 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
13 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
21 days
6 days
days below 20°F per year
Huntsville has 11 more days above 95°F each year than Roanoke. Roanoke drops below 20°F on 15 more days per year than Huntsville.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
58 / 100
11.0 pts behind Roanoke
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
9 routes
9 routes
Metro size
Metro size
314k metro
527k metro
Roanoke has 2.7x fewer events per month than Huntsville.
the verdict
3
Roanoke
categories won
3
Huntsville
categories won
Roanoke wins on lifestyle, Huntsville wins on money. Dead even.
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