on $100k a year, leaving Phoenix
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
lighter monthly cost than Phoenix
Birmingham and Phoenix land close on cost. The reasons to move are about how you'd live, not what you'd save.
a quick ledger.
$1,407/mo
19% cheaper than Phoenix(vs $1,739/mo)
5%
$208/mo more in state tax than Phoenix
vs 2.5% in Phoenix
$6,510/mo
$124 more than Phoenix
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$261k
43% cheaper than Phoenix
vs $458k in Phoenix
1.2M
vs 5.1M in Phoenix
field notes, weather & such.
171
pleasant days a year, in birmingham.
Phoenix gets 181 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine.
55% fewer events than Phoenix. The pace eases up.
61/100
8% lower than Phoenix
vs 66/100 in Phoenix
Closest outdoor draw: Oak Mountain State Park, 12.8 mi.
79/100
19% lower than Phoenix
vs 97/100 in Phoenix
20
78% fewer than Phoenix
vs 91 nonstops in Phoenix
if birmingham appeals, also worth a look:
compare birmingham with:
