| Measure | KitchenerOntario, Canada Remove Kitchener | HamiltonOntario, Canada Remove Hamilton | BaltimoreMaryland, United States Remove Baltimore | Columbus (OH)Ohio, United States Remove Columbus (OH) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||||
| Overall score | 6.5 | 6.8 | 6.6 | 6.4 |
| Connector Score | 9.1 | 9.2 | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Safety | 7.6 | 7.0 | 1.7 | 6.4 |
| Affordability | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.8 |
| Transportation | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 8.0 |
| Car-free friendliness | 7.0 | 7.0 | 8.5 | 5.0 |
| Walkability | 5.1 | 5.3 | 8.4 | 5.4 |
| Things to do | 6.2 | 7.0 | 6.8 | 7.3 |
| Food & dining | 4.6 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Places to stay | 6.1 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 6.8 |
| Nature & outdoors | 3.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Scenic value | 4.0 | 6.3 | 5.8 | 6.3 |
| Family friendliness | 5.0 | 4.9 | 6.3 | 6.8 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 5.5 | 5.5 | 4.9 | 5.4 |
| Nightlife | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.9 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 5.8 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 6.9 |
| Road-trip convenience | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.4 |
| Train-trip convenience | 7.8 | 7.8 | 8.8 | 1.0 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 7.3 | 7.3 | 8.0 | 7.3 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||||
| Budget | $111 | $115 | $135 | $130 |
| Mid-range | $159 | $159 | $210 | $190 |
| Luxury | $262 | $264 | $378 | $337 |
| Living there | ||||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 105 | 104 | 104 | 97 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | CA$2,050 | CA$1,900 | $1,450 | $1,350 |
| Median home price | CA$750,000 | CA$825,000 | $244,800 | $247,000 |
| Population | 257K | 569K | 570K | 938K |
| Getting there | ||||
| Accessible by | Drive Train Bus Airport | Drive Train Bus Airport | Drive Train Bus Airport | Drive Bus Airport |
| Car recommended | — | — | — | — |
| Travel time from Kitchener | — | 1 h details | 8 h 18 min details | 6 h 29 min details |
| Character | ||||
| Best for | Car-free travel | Car-free travel | Car-free travel | — |
| Known for | Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Live music, Shopping | Mountains & hiking, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Live music, Shopping | National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Shopping, Family & kids | Mountains & hiking, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Live music, Pro sports, Shopping, Family & kids |
| When to go | Peak: Oktoberfest and university move-in and… | Peak: June to September and during Supercrawl… | — | Peak: Demand on Ohio State home football week… |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.