$100k salary, packing up from Madison
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 Madison's monthly cost
The gap is real. Birmingham costs noticeably less than Madison, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,407/mo
16% cheaper than Madison(vs $1,673/mo)
5%
$106/mo less in state tax than Madison
vs 6.27% in Madison
$6,510/mo
$372 more than Madison
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$261k
44% cheaper than Madison
vs $465k in Madison
1.2M
vs 694k in Madison
field notes, weather & such.
171
pleasant days a year, in birmingham.
Madison only manages 147 of those. Warm, not extreme: 28 days clear 95°, vs 0 back in Madison.
125% more happening than in Madison.
61/100
9% lower than Madison
vs 67/100 in Madison
Closest outdoor draw: Oak Mountain State Park, 12.8 mi.
79/100
10% lower than Madison
vs 88/100 in Madison
20
82% more than Madison
vs 11 nonstops in Madison
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