same $100k income, fresh start from Richmond

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Albuquerque, NM cityscape

if you left richmond

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

$190

cheaper each month than Richmond

A near-tie on cost. What separates Albuquerque is the life around the numbers.
landable, recorded on the albuquerque entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,489/mo

12% cheaper than Richmond(vs $1,691/mo)

02state income tax

5.9%

$12/mo more in state tax than Richmond

vs 5.75% in Richmond

03after rent

$6,353/mo

$190 more than Richmond

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

04a house here

$351k

11% cheaper than Richmond

vs $394k in Richmond

05metro size

924k

vs 1.4M in Richmond

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

205

pleasant days a year, in albuquerque.

Richmond keeps to 172 pleasant days a year. Warm, not extreme: 34 days clear 95°, vs 18 back in Richmond.

Things to do run about even with Richmond.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

81/100

25% higher than Richmond

vs 65/100 in Richmond

Closest outdoor draw: Sandia Mountain Wilderness, 13.4 mi.

·walk score®

94/100

36% higher than Richmond

vs 69/100 in Richmond

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

23

21% more than Richmond

vs 19 nonstops in Richmond

04 · see also

cities that play in albuquerque's register:

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