| Measure | BoulderColorado, United States Remove Boulder | SalinaKansas, United States Remove Salina |
|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||
| Overall score | 5.9 | 5.8 |
| Connector Score | 7.1 | 6.5 |
| Safety | 7.4 | — |
| Affordability | 2.4 | 8.3 |
| Transportation | 5.0 | 7.0 |
| Car-free friendliness | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Walkability | 7.8 | 6.4 |
| Things to do | 5.8 | 5.3 |
| Food & dining | 4.7 | 3.8 |
| Places to stay | 5.7 | 5.3 |
| Nature & outdoors | 7.5 | 3.5 |
| Scenic value | 6.3 | 4.0 |
| Family friendliness | 5.5 | 6.7 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 6.4 | 5.9 |
| Nightlife | 3.5 | 3.6 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 4.3 | 5.7 |
| Road-trip convenience | 6.5 | 5.8 |
| Train-trip convenience | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 1.5 | 6.8 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||
| Budget | $160 | $80 |
| Mid-range | $255 | $125 |
| Luxury | $483 | $207 |
| Living there | ||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 145 | 82 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | $2,100 | $825 |
| Median home price | $1,039,500 | $204,000 |
| Population | 106K | 46K |
| Getting there | ||
| Accessible by | Drive | Drive Bus Airport |
| Car recommended | — | — |
| Travel time from Boulder | — | 9 h 52 min details |
| Character | ||
| Best for | Outdoors, National parks | Budget stays |
| Known for | Mountains & hiking, National & state parks, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Wineries & breweries, Shopping | Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Live music, Pro sports, Shopping, Family & kids |
| When to go | Peak: Summer through early fall and CU gradua… | Peak: Summer road-trip season and the Smoky H… |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.