01 · the cities
Springfield
Springfield is where basketball was invented in 1891 (the Basketball Hall of Fame is right here), and where Dr. Seuss grew up (there's a sculpture garden downtown). The city's old industrial buildings are slowly coming back, and the surrounding Pioneer Valley is one of the prettiest stretches in New England. UMass is just up the road. Quieter than Boston, much cheaper.
full dispatch→Austin
Austin runs on breakfast tacos, live music, and a stubborn streak of weirdness that the tech boom hasn't fully smoothed over. The east side reinvents itself every few years and still has the vinyl shops, vintage western wear, and honky-tonks to prove it. Barton Springs holds 68°F year-round and locals plan their summers around it. There's a swimming hole, a taco truck, or a guitar within five blocks of wherever you're standing.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,913/mo
$1,583/mo
$330/mo less than Springfield (21%)
Median home price
Median home price
$373k
$433k
$61k more than Springfield
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,004/mo
$6,750/mo
Austin has $746/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
147 days
170 days
23 more than Springfield
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
53 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
47 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
Austin has 52 more days above 95°F each year than Springfield. Springfield drops below 20°F on 46 more days per year than Austin.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
66 / 100
56 / 100
10.0 pts behind Springfield
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
26 routes
42 routes
16 more direct routes than Springfield
Metro size
Metro size
460k metro
2.5M metro
Springfield has 20.0x fewer events per month than Austin.
the verdict
3
Springfield
categories won
6
Austin
categories won
Austin leads on money and weather and wins overall.
run your numbers
How far does your Springfield 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