$100k salary, packing up from Salem
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
less monthly outlay than Salem
The gap is real. Birmingham costs noticeably less than Salem, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,407/mo
14% cheaper than Salem(vs $1,642/mo)
5%
$312/mo less in state tax than Salem
vs 8.75% in Salem
$6,510/mo
$548 more than Salem
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$261k
42% cheaper than Salem
vs $452k in Salem
1.2M
vs 437k in Salem
field notes, weather & such.
171
pleasant days a year, in birmingham.
Salem actually gets more: 201 pleasant days a year. Warm, not extreme: 28 days clear 95°, vs 2 back in Salem.
8900% more happening than in Salem.
61/100
12% lower than Salem
vs 69/100 in Salem
Closest outdoor draw: Oak Mountain State Park, 12.8 mi.
79/100
10% lower than Salem
vs 88/100 in Salem
20
0% fewer than Salem
vs 0 nonstops in Salem
same energy as birmingham, different zip code:
compare birmingham with:
