on $100k a year, leaving Baton Rouge

change
Asheville, NC cityscape

swapping out of baton rouge

Asheville

nc · metro 417k

photo: Ken Jacobsen / pexels

a dispatch from

asheville

NC

35.58°N

82.55°W

Asheville is what happens when a mountain town and an art school have a baby and raise it on craft beer. Downtown packs more breweries per capita than almost anywhere in America, plus buskers on every corner and Art Deco buildings the Depression accidentally preserved (the city went broke before it could tear them down). The Biltmore, America's largest private home, looms on the edge of town like a stone-carved flex. Remote workers keep showing up, which is how you know.

metro417k

in our guides

#1

of 10

Best cities for food and nightlife

read the guide
#4

of 10

Most vibrant and affordable cities

read the guide
#8

of 10

Best cities for couples

read the guide
#4

of 10

Best cities for live music and arts

read the guide
#8

of 10

Best cities to leave Chicago for

read the guide
#8

of 10

Best cities to live in the South

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best small cities to live in

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities to leave Phoenix for

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities on the East Coast

read the guide
#7

of 10

Best cities to leave Miami for

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities to live in the Southeast

read the guide
#4

of 10

Best cities in the Carolinas

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities for creatives and artists

read the guide

01 · the verdict

the verdict

$502

more each month than Baton Rouge ran you

You'd pay for Asheville. The question is whether the days are worth the difference.
landable, recorded on the asheville entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,738/mo

28% more expensive than Baton Rouge(vs $1,361/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$125/mo more in state tax than Baton Rouge

vs 3% in Baton Rouge

03after rent

$6,220/mo

$502 less than Baton Rouge

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

04a house here

$430k

72% more expensive than Baton Rouge

vs $250k in Baton Rouge

05metro size

417k

vs 874k in Baton Rouge

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

201

pleasant days a year, in asheville.

Baton Rouge keeps to 187 pleasant days a year.

133% more happening than in Baton Rouge.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

66/100

32% higher than Baton Rouge

vs 50/100 in Baton Rouge

Closest outdoor draw: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 74.8 mi.

·walk score®

63/100

16% lower than Baton Rouge

vs 75/100 in Baton Rouge

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

8

100% more than Baton Rouge

vs 4 nonstops in Baton Rouge

04 · see also

if asheville appeals, also worth a look:

see also

charleston

more flight options

turn the page

see also

greenville

$21/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

reno

$205/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare asheville with:

CharlestonGreenvilleReno