same $100k income, fresh start from Hartford

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Albuquerque, NM cityscape

next stop after hartford

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

$409

cheaper each month than Hartford

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

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,489/mo

23% cheaper than Hartford(vs $1,931/mo)

02state income tax

5.9%

$33/mo more in state tax than Hartford

vs 5.5% in Hartford

03after rent

$6,353/mo

$409 more than Hartford

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

04a house here

$351k

15% cheaper than Hartford

vs $411k in Hartford

05metro size

924k

vs 1.2M in Hartford

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

205

pleasant days a year, in albuquerque.

Hartford keeps to 148 pleasant days a year. Warm, not extreme: 34 days clear 95°, vs 1 back in Hartford.

Nights and weekends fill up faster. 1.4× more on the calendar than Hartford.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

81/100

21% higher than Hartford

vs 67/100 in Hartford

Closest outdoor draw: Sandia Mountain Wilderness, 13.4 mi.

·walk score®

94/100

3% higher than Hartford

vs 91/100 in Hartford

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

23

12% fewer than Hartford

vs 26 nonstops in Hartford

04 · see also

neighbors of albuquerque on the map of tradeoffs:

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