| Measure | AkronOhio, United States Remove Akron | WaterlooOntario, Canada Remove Waterloo |
|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||
| Overall score | 6.1 | 6.4 |
| Connector Score | 8.0 | 9.0 |
| Safety | 3.5 | 7.6 |
| Affordability | 7.6 | 6.0 |
| Transportation | 8.0 | 10.0 |
| Car-free friendliness | 5.0 | 7.0 |
| Walkability | 4.5 | 4.9 |
| Things to do | 5.7 | 5.7 |
| Food & dining | 4.5 | 5.5 |
| Places to stay | 6.0 | 5.8 |
| Nature & outdoors | 7.5 | 3.5 |
| Scenic value | 6.5 | 4.0 |
| Family friendliness | 6.7 | 5.0 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 4.2 | 5.4 |
| Nightlife | 3.2 | 4.5 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Road-trip convenience | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Train-trip convenience | 1.0 | 7.8 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 7.3 | 7.3 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||
| Budget | $105 | $111 |
| Mid-range | $153 | $161 |
| Luxury | $256 | $262 |
| Living there | ||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 89 | 105 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | $937 | CA$1,950 |
| Median home price | $122,000 | CA$750,000 |
| Population | 190K | 121K |
| Getting there | ||
| Accessible by | Drive Bus Airport | Drive Train Bus Airport |
| Car recommended | — | — |
| Travel time from Akron | — | 4 h 5 min details |
| Character | ||
| Best for | Outdoors | Car-free travel |
| Known for | Mountains & hiking, National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Family & kids | Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Food scene, Live music, Shopping |
| When to go | Peak: Summer and fall foliage weekends plus S… | Peak: Demand is Oktoberfest, university move-… |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.