| Measure | DentonTexas, United States Remove Denton | AthensGeorgia, United States Remove Athens | GainesvilleFlorida, United States Remove Gainesville | LawrenceKansas, United States Remove Lawrence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||||
| Overall score | 5.9 | 5.5 | 6.4 | 6.0 |
| Connector Score | 8.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 7.9 |
| Safety | — | 6.7 | 4.1 | 6.2 |
| Affordability | 6.3 | 5.8 | 6.7 | 7.8 |
| Transportation | 6.5 | 6.0 | 8.5 | 5.0 |
| Car-free friendliness | 5.5 | 4.5 | 6.5 | 4.0 |
| Walkability | 5.6 | 5.4 | 8.4 | 4.6 |
| Things to do | 6.3 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 6.4 |
| Food & dining | 5.1 | 6.0 | 4.4 | 5.9 |
| Places to stay | 6.1 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 5.1 |
| Nature & outdoors | 3.5 | 2.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Scenic value | 4.0 | 3.0 | 6.3 | 5.0 |
| Family friendliness | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 5.2 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.6 |
| Nightlife | 7.4 | 7.6 | 4.1 | 7.4 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 5.9 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 5.8 |
| Road-trip convenience | 6.5 | 6.2 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Train-trip convenience | 7.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 7.0 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 1.5 | 7.3 | 8.0 | 1.5 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||||
| Budget | $103 | $70 | $105 | $60 |
| Mid-range | $153 | $178 | $163 | $158 |
| Luxury | $258 | $294 | $268 | $263 |
| Living there | ||||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 102 | 107 | 98 | 87 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | $1,350 | $1,250 | $1,100 | $1,080 |
| Median home price | $348,200 | $353,000 | $247,500 | $333,000 |
| Population | 169K | 129K | 149K | 96K |
| Getting there | ||||
| Accessible by | Drive Train | Drive Bus | Drive Bus Airport | Drive Train |
| Car recommended | — | — | — | — |
| Travel time from Denton | — | Far | Far | 9 h 43 min details |
| Character | ||||
| Best for | Live music | Nightlife, Live music | History, Live music | — |
| Known for | Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Nightlife, Live music, Shopping | Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Food scene, Nightlife, Live music, Pro sports, Shopping | National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Live music, Pro sports, Shopping | National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Food scene, Nightlife, Live music, Pro sports, Shopping |
| When to go | Peak: UNT move-in and football weekends and g… | Peak: UGA home football weekends, graduation… | Peak: Demand on UF home football weekends, gr… | Peak: KU home football and basketball weekend… |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.