Head to Head
Asheville, NC vs Austin, TX
Asheville leads with a Fun Score of 87, ahead by 13 points. Across 23 individual factors, Asheville wins 13 and Austin wins 9, with 1 tied.
- Factor wins — Asheville
- 13 of 23
- Tied
- 1
- Factor wins — Austin
- 9 of 23
| Factor | Asheville, NC | Austin, TX |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 90 Best | 76 |
| Drinks | 91 Best | 77 |
| Coffee | 84 Best | 71 |
| Live Music | 91 Best | 73 |
| Star Power | 32 | 65 Best |
| Outdoors | 61 Best | 46 |
| Culture | 86 Best | 46 |
| Events | 59 | 77 Best |
| Sports | 92 Best | 37 |
| Unique Hangouts | 81 Best | 71 |
| City Vibe | 49 | 86 Best |
| Climate | 68 Best | 44 |
| Transit Quality | 41 | 59 Best |
| Walkability | 49 | 54 Best |
| Higher Education | 25 | 65 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 36 | 87 Best |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 87 | 65 Best |
| Traffic | 10 Best | 56 |
| Air Quality | 7 Best | 82 |
| Disaster Risk | 14 Best | 55 |
| Weather Extremes | 23 Best | 56 |
| Economic Strain | 50 | 17 Best |
| Going-Out Cost | 35 | 35 |
Scores are 0–100 percentile ranks. For drawback factors (crime, traffic, etc.) a lower number is better — the Best badge marks whichever city has less. Full methodology →