| Measure | GoldenBritish Columbia, Canada Remove Golden | BanffAlberta, Canada Remove Banff | CourtenayBritish Columbia, Canada Remove Courtenay | WhitefishMontana, United States Remove Whitefish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||||
| Overall score | 5.3 | 5.4 | 6.2 | 6.4 |
| Connector Score | 6.3 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 7.0 |
| Safety | 7.8 | 8.0 | 5.3 | 9.3 |
| Affordability | 5.7 | 4.0 | 5.7 | 2.4 |
| Transportation | 3.0 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 10.0 |
| Car-free friendliness | 2.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 7.0 |
| Walkability | 3.0 | 3.5 | 6.8 | 4.3 |
| Things to do | 4.6 | 5.2 | 6.2 | 5.2 |
| Food & dining | 4.3 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Places to stay | 4.5 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| Nature & outdoors | 8.5 | 9.0 | 8.5 | 10.0 |
| Scenic value | 7.3 | 8.0 | 7.3 | 8.0 |
| Family friendliness | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.4 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 5.2 | 5.4 | 5.8 | 5.8 |
| Nightlife | 2.5 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 3.0 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 4.1 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 4.1 |
| Road-trip convenience | 6.5 | 7.3 | 6.4 | 6.2 |
| Train-trip convenience | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 5.7 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 6.8 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||||
| Budget | $126 | $177 | $118 | $170 |
| Mid-range | $180 | $265 | $168 | $265 |
| Luxury | $334 | $495 | $271 | $534 |
| Living there | ||||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 108 | 125 | 108 | 145 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | CA$1,600 | CA$2,300 | CA$1,850 | $1,900 |
| Median home price | CA$775,000 | — | CA$775,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Population | 3,986 | 8,305 | 28K | 9,358 |
| Getting there | ||||
| Accessible by | Drive | Drive Camping | Drive Ferry Airport | Drive Train Bus Airport |
| Car recommended | — | — | — | — |
| Travel time from Golden | — | 1 h 30 min details | 20 h 52 min details | 5 h 29 min details |
| Character | ||||
| Best for | Outdoors, Skiing | Outdoors, Skiing | Outdoors, Skiing | Car-free travel, Outdoors, Skiing |
| Known for | Mountains & hiking, National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Food scene, Skiing & winter sports, Shopping | Mountains & hiking, National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Historic sites, Food scene, Live music, Skiing & winter sports, Shopping | Mountains & hiking, National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Food scene, Wineries & breweries, Live music, Skiing & winter sports, Shopping | Mountains & hiking, National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Historic sites, Food scene, Wineries & breweries, Skiing & winter sports, Shopping |
| When to go | Peak: July to August and ski season December… | Peak: June to September and Christmas | Peak: July to August and ski season | Peak: July to August and ski season December… |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.