same $100k income, fresh start from Portland
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
cheaper each month than Portland
Birmingham is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
a quick ledger.
$1,407/mo
38% cheaper than Portland(vs $2,285/mo)
5%
$208/mo less in state tax than Portland
vs 7.5% in Portland
$6,510/mo
$1,087 more than Portland
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$261k
52% cheaper than Portland
vs $543k in Portland
1.2M
vs 566k in Portland
field notes, weather & such.
171
pleasant days a year, in birmingham.
Portland barely cracks 145 pleasant ones. Hot stretches show up, though: 28 days above 95° here, 0 in Portland.
A month here packs 2.9× the events of Portland.
61/100
14% lower than Portland
vs 71/100 in Portland
Closest outdoor draw: Oak Mountain State Park, 12.8 mi.
79/100
19% lower than Portland
vs 98/100 in Portland
20
900% more than Portland
vs 2 nonstops in Portland
if birmingham appeals, also worth a look:
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