| Measure | Springfield (IL)Illinois, United States Remove Springfield (IL) | Salt Lake CityUtah, United States Remove Salt Lake City | BismarckNorth Dakota, United States Remove Bismarck | LansingMichigan, United States Remove Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||||
| Overall score | 5.2 | 5.8 | 6.0 | 6.1 |
| Connector Score | 6.6 | 6.8 | 5.5 | 8.9 |
| Safety | 3.0 | 3.3 | 7.2 | 2.7 |
| Affordability | 7.6 | 4.1 | 6.7 | 7.2 |
| Transportation | 8.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 9.0 |
| Car-free friendliness | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 |
| Walkability | 4.1 | 5.1 | 7.0 | 7.6 |
| Things to do | 5.0 | 6.6 | 5.5 | 5.7 |
| Food & dining | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 4.2 |
| Places to stay | 5.7 | 6.3 | 5.5 | 5.7 |
| Nature & outdoors | 2.0 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 3.5 |
| Scenic value | 3.5 | 6.8 | 6.3 | 5.3 |
| Family friendliness | 6.1 | 6.2 | 7.4 | 6.0 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 3.9 | 4.3 | 6.3 | 4.9 |
| Nightlife | 3.0 | 4.5 | 2.9 | 4.0 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 5.8 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6.3 |
| Road-trip convenience | 6.0 | 6.4 | 5.4 | 6.5 |
| Train-trip convenience | 6.9 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 8.0 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 5.7 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 7.3 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||||
| Budget | $100 | $148 | $103 | $105 |
| Mid-range | $148 | $225 | $145 | $155 |
| Luxury | $241 | $433 | $233 | $248 |
| Living there | ||||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 89 | 124 | 98 | 93 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | $800 | $1,600 | $1,000 | $975 |
| Median home price | $162,100 | $573,000 | $300,300 | $128,700 |
| Population | 113K | 218K | 78K | 114K |
| Getting there | ||||
| Accessible by | Drive Train Bus Airport | Drive Train Airport | Drive Train Airport | Drive Train Bus Airport |
| Car recommended | — | — | — | — |
| Travel time from Springfield (IL) | — | Far | Far | 7 h 53 min details |
| Character | ||||
| Best for | History | History, Skiing | History | Car-free travel, History |
| Known for | Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Family & kids | Mountains & hiking, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Live music, Skiing & winter sports, Family & kids | National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Family & kids | Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Live music, Family & kids |
| When to go | Peak: The Illinois State Fair in August, legi… | Peak: Seasons are ski season and summer natio… | Peak: Summer and legislative sessions | Peak: MSU football weekends, commencement and… |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.