$100k a year, no longer in Winston-Salem

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Albuquerque, NM cityscape

next stop after winston-salem

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

$97

more each month than Winston-Salem ran you

Almost a wash on cost. The case for Albuquerque is about what you'd do there, not what you'd save.
landable, recorded on the albuquerque entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,489/mo

1% cheaper than Winston-Salem(vs $1,508/mo)

02state income tax

5.9%

$117/mo more in state tax than Winston-Salem

vs 4.5% in Winston-Salem

03after rent

$6,353/mo

$97 less than Winston-Salem

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

04a house here

$351k

24% more expensive than Winston-Salem

vs $283k in Winston-Salem

05metro size

924k

vs 696k in Winston-Salem

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

205

pleasant days a year, in albuquerque.

Winston-Salem barely cracks 186 pleasant ones. Hot stretches show up, though: 34 days above 95° here, 8 in Winston-Salem.

·outdoorscore

81/100

50% higher than Winston-Salem

vs 54/100 in Winston-Salem

Closest outdoor draw: Sandia Mountain Wilderness, 13.4 mi.

·walk score®

94/100

32% higher than Winston-Salem

vs 71/100 in Winston-Salem

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

23

0% fewer than Winston-Salem

vs 0 nonstops in Winston-Salem

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