same $100k income, fresh start from Washington

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Asheville, NC cityscape

next stop after washington

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

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$947

cheaper each month than Washington

Asheville runs on a fraction of Washington's budget. Same paycheck, real lifestyle upgrade.
landable, recorded on the asheville entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,738/mo

26% cheaper than Washington(vs $2,352/mo)

02state income tax

4.5%

$333/mo less in state tax than Washington

vs 8.5% in Washington

03after rent

$6,220/mo

$947 more than Washington

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

04a house here

$430k

31% cheaper than Washington

vs $626k in Washington

05metro size

417k

vs 6.3M in Washington

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

201

pleasant days a year, in asheville.

Washington only logs 177 pleasant days.

Noticeably quieter than Washington. About 78% fewer events on a typical month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

66/100

24% lower than Washington

vs 87/100 in Washington

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

·walk score®

63/100

36% lower than Washington

vs 98/100 in Washington

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

8

95% fewer than Washington

vs 160 nonstops in Washington

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