$100k salary, packing up from Boulder
changea dispatch from
birmingham
AL
33.52°N
86.80°W
Birmingham was built on steel and reshaped by the civil rights movement, and you can feel both stories in the city. The Civil Rights Institute is essential, the food scene (Highlands Bar and Grill, Hot and Hot Fish Club, plenty more) is one of the most acclaimed in the South. The Vulcan statue, the largest cast-iron statue in the world, looks down on the city from Red Mountain. Younger than its reputation suggests.
the verdict
below Boulder's monthly cost
The gap is real. Birmingham costs noticeably less than Boulder, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,407/mo
37% cheaper than Boulder(vs $2,216/mo)
5%
$50/mo more in state tax than Boulder
vs 4.4% in Boulder
$6,510/mo
$759 more than Boulder
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$261k
67% cheaper than Boulder
vs $783k in Boulder
1.2M
vs 327k in Boulder
field notes, weather & such.
171
pleasant days a year, in birmingham.
Boulder has the edge here, logging 178 pleasant days a year. Summer is real but not punishing: 28 days top 95° vs Boulder's 13.
A real upgrade on things to do: 15.0× Boulder's pace.
61/100
23% lower than Boulder
vs 79/100 in Boulder
Closest outdoor draw: Oak Mountain State Park, 12.8 mi.
79/100
6% lower than Boulder
vs 84/100 in Boulder
20
88% fewer than Boulder
vs 169 nonstops in Boulder
cities that play in birmingham's register:
compare birmingham with:
