on $100k a year, leaving Detroit
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
under Detroit, every month
On paper, Birmingham and Detroit are twins. In practice they live very differently.
a quick ledger.
$1,407/mo
4% cheaper than Detroit(vs $1,472/mo)
5%
$63/mo more in state tax than Detroit
vs 4.25% in Detroit
$6,510/mo
$3 more than Detroit
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$261k
1% cheaper than Detroit
vs $262k in Detroit
1.2M
vs 4.3M in Detroit
field notes, weather & such.
171
pleasant days a year, in birmingham.
Detroit only manages 160 of those. Warm, not extreme: 28 days clear 95°, vs 0 back in Detroit.
On par with Detroit for events and shows.
61/100
30% higher than Detroit
vs 47/100 in Detroit
Closest outdoor draw: Oak Mountain State Park, 12.8 mi.
79/100
20% lower than Detroit
vs 99/100 in Detroit
20
85% fewer than Detroit
vs 135 nonstops in Detroit
in the same ballpark as birmingham:
compare birmingham with:
