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Albuquerque, NM cityscape

next stop after atlanta

Albuquerque

nm · metro 924k

photo: Lad Fury / pexels

a dispatch from

albuquerque

NM

35.08°N

106.65°W

Albuquerque is green chile on everything, the Sandia Mountains turning pink at sunset (the name literally means watermelon), and the Balloon Fiesta in October when 500+ hot air balloons fill the sky. The old town adobes feel like the 1700s, the food fuses Native, Mexican, and Spanish in ways you won't get anywhere else. Breaking Bad fans will recognize half the city, and locals are good-natured about it.

metro924k

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$291

under Atlanta, every month

Not a fortune, but real money. Albuquerque runs cheaper than Atlanta month over month.
landable, recorded on the albuquerque entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,489/mo

18% cheaper than Atlanta(vs $1,814/mo)

02state income tax

5.9%

$34/mo more in state tax than Atlanta

vs 5.49% in Atlanta

03after rent

$6,353/mo

$291 more than Atlanta

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$351k

9% cheaper than Atlanta

vs $386k in Atlanta

05metro size

924k

vs 6.3M in Atlanta

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

205

pleasant days a year, in albuquerque.

Atlanta only manages 204 of those. Warm, not extreme: 34 days clear 95°, vs 2 back in Atlanta.

But the calendar thins out: Atlanta stays 5.7× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

81/100

21% higher than Atlanta

vs 67/100 in Atlanta

Closest outdoor draw: Sandia Mountain Wilderness, 13.4 mi.

·walk score®

94/100

1% higher than Atlanta

vs 93/100 in Atlanta

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

23

89% fewer than Atlanta

vs 217 nonstops in Atlanta

04 · see also

same energy as albuquerque, different zip code:

see also

spartanburg

$5/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

greenville

more things to do

turn the page

see also

spokane

$460/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare albuquerque with:

SpartanburgGreenvilleSpokane