01 · the cities
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→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
$2,140/mo
$2,089/mo
$51/mo less than Worcester (2%)
Median home price
Median home price
$486k
$424k
$62k less than Worcester
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
5.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,777/mo
$5,786/mo
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
148 days
155 days
7 more than Worcester
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
55 days
40 days
days below 20°F per year
Worcester drops below 20°F on 15 more days per year than New Haven.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
59 / 100
67 / 100
8.0 pts ahead of Worcester
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
1 routes
Metro size
Metro size
867k metro
568k metro
Worcester has 1.7x more events per month than New Haven.
the verdict
1
Worcester
categories won
6
New Haven
categories won
New Haven wins this comparison, leading on money and weather.
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