| Measure | Iowa CityIowa, United States Remove Iowa City | LawrenceKansas, United States Remove Lawrence | Greenville (NC)North Carolina, United States Remove Greenville (NC) | OrangeCalifornia, United States Remove Orange |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||||
| Overall score | 5.9 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 5.7 |
| Connector Score | 5.7 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 7.8 |
| Safety | 8.1 | 6.2 | 5.4 | 8.2 |
| Affordability | 7.0 | 7.8 | 7.2 | 1.5 |
| Transportation | 5.5 | 5.0 | 7.5 | 5.0 |
| Car-free friendliness | 4.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 2.5 |
| Walkability | 7.0 | 4.6 | 7.6 | 4.8 |
| Things to do | 6.0 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.7 |
| Food & dining | 5.0 | 6.3 | 7.0 | 5.8 |
| Places to stay | 5.5 | 5.1 | 5.6 | 6.0 |
| Nature & outdoors | 3.5 | 5.5 | 3.5 | 5.5 |
| Scenic value | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 6.0 |
| Family friendliness | 5.1 | 5.2 | 4.6 | 6.6 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 7.1 | 5.7 | 6.4 | 5.8 |
| Nightlife | 6.8 | 7.4 | 7.9 | 4.8 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 6.2 | 6.0 | 6.4 | 5.3 |
| Road-trip convenience | 5.8 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Train-trip convenience | 1.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 1.0 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||||
| Budget | $98 | $60 | $100 | $143 |
| Mid-range | $150 | $158 | $150 | $210 |
| Luxury | $256 | $263 | $251 | $357 |
| Living there | ||||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 95 | 87 | 93 | 165 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | $1,150 | $1,080 | $1,025 | $2,500 |
| Median home price | $285,900 | $333,000 | $233,500 | $945,800 |
| Population | 76K | 96K | 96K | 138K |
| Getting there | ||||
| Accessible by | Drive Airport | Drive Train | Drive Train Airport | Drive Airport |
| Car recommended | — | — | — | — |
| Travel time from Iowa City | — | 6 h 25 min details | Far | Far |
| Character | ||||
| Best for | — | — | Food lovers, Nightlife | History |
| Known for | Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Nightlife, Live music, Pro sports, Shopping | National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Food scene, Nightlife, Live music, Pro sports, Shopping | Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Food scene, Wineries & breweries, Nightlife, Live music, Pro sports, Shopping | Mountains & hiking, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Theme & amusement parks, Food scene, Live music, Pro sports, Shopping |
| When to go | — | Peak: KU home football and basketball weekend… | Peak: Demand is ECU home football weekends, g… | Peak: Spring break, summer and holiday weeks |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.