| Measure | LawrenceKansas, United States Remove Lawrence | Iowa CityIowa, United States Remove Iowa City |
|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||
| Overall score | 6.1 | 5.9 |
| Connector Score | 8.0 | 5.7 |
| Safety | 6.2 | 8.1 |
| Affordability | 7.8 | 7.0 |
| Transportation | 5.0 | 5.5 |
| Car-free friendliness | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Walkability | 4.6 | 7.0 |
| Things to do | 6.6 | 6.0 |
| Food & dining | 6.3 | 5.0 |
| Places to stay | 5.1 | 5.5 |
| Nature & outdoors | 5.5 | 3.5 |
| Scenic value | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| Family friendliness | 5.2 | 5.1 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 5.7 | 7.1 |
| Nightlife | 7.4 | 6.8 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 6.0 | 6.2 |
| Road-trip convenience | 6.5 | 5.8 |
| Train-trip convenience | 7.0 | 1.0 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||
| Budget | $60 | $98 |
| Mid-range | $158 | $150 |
| Luxury | $263 | $256 |
| Living there | ||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 87 | 95 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | $1,080 | $1,150 |
| Median home price | $333,000 | $285,900 |
| Population | 96K | 76K |
| Getting there | ||
| Accessible by | Drive Train | Drive Airport |
| Car recommended | — | — |
| Travel time from Lawrence | — | 6 h 25 min details |
| Character | ||
| Best for | — | — |
| Known for | National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Food scene, Nightlife, Live music, Pro sports, Shopping | Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Nightlife, Live music, Pro sports, Shopping |
| When to go | 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.