Head to Head

Asheville, NC vs Baltimore, MD

Asheville leads with a Fun Score of 87, ahead by 14 points. Across 23 individual factors, Asheville wins 13 and Baltimore wins 8, with 2 tied.

Asheville, NC 87 Exceptional Higher Fun Score Baltimore, MD 73 Very Fun

Factor wins — Asheville: 13 of 23
Tied: 2
Factor wins — Baltimore: 8 of 23

Factor	Asheville, NC	Baltimore, MD
What lifts the score
Eats	90 Best	72
Drinks	91 Best	83
Coffee	84 Best	53
Live Music	91 Best	72
Star Power	32	90 Best
Outdoors	61	71 Best
Culture	86 Best	70
Events	57	73 Best
Sports	92 Best	61
Unique Hangouts	81 Best	11
City Vibe	49 Best	46
Climate	68 Best	64
Transit Quality	41	88 Best
Walkability	49	85 Best
Higher Education	25	35 Best
Bike & Micromobility	36	74 Best
What weighs it down (lower score = better)
Crime	87	87
Traffic	10 Best	86
Air Quality	7 Best	23
Disaster Risk	14 Best	33
Weather Extremes	23	10 Best
Economic Strain	50 Best	91
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 →