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→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→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,140/mo
$2,127/mo
Median home price
Median home price
$486k
$528k
$42k more than Worcester
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
6.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,777/mo
$5,707/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
148 days
159 days
11 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
35 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
59 / 100
63 / 100
4.0 pts ahead of Worcester
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
17 routes
15 more direct routes than Worcester
Metro size
Metro size
867k metro
1.7M metro
Worcester has 1.4x more events per month than Providence.
the verdict
3
Worcester
categories won
4
Providence
categories won
Providence wins on weather and lifestyle. Worcester has the edge on money.
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