on $100k a year, leaving Charlotte

change
Buffalo, NY cityscape

instead of charlotte

Buffalo

ny · metro 1.2M

a dispatch from

buffalo

NY

42.89°N

78.88°W

Buffalo invented the wing (Anchor Bar, 1964, midnight, blue cheese, celery, not negotiable) and that should tell you most of what you need to know about the city's spirit. The Bills Mafia jumps through tables in subzero parking lots. Niagara Falls is 20 minutes away. The architecture (Sullivan, Wright, Olmsted parks) is genuinely world-class. The snow is part of the local mythology and the locals wear it proudly.

metro1.2M

01 · the verdict

the verdict

$242

lighter monthly cost than Charlotte

Buffalo gives you room Charlotte doesn't. Same gross salary, lower monthly cost of living.
landable, recorded on the buffalo entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,374/mo

20% cheaper than Charlotte(vs $1,728/mo)

02state income tax

5.85%

$113/mo more in state tax than Charlotte

vs 4.5% in Charlotte

03after rent

$6,472/mo

$242 more than Charlotte

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$280k

29% cheaper than Charlotte

vs $391k in Charlotte

05metro size

1.2M

vs 2.8M in Charlotte

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

152

pleasant days a year, in buffalo.

Charlotte gets 200 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. Winter has bite, though: 42 days drop below 20° vs Charlotte's 3.

But the calendar thins out: Charlotte stays 1.7× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

66/100

29% higher than Charlotte

vs 51/100 in Charlotte

Closest outdoor draw: Darien Lakes State Park, 23.9 mi.

·walk score®

91/100

3% lower than Charlotte

vs 94/100 in Charlotte

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

86% fewer than Charlotte

vs 141 nonstops in Charlotte

04 · see also

if buffalo appeals, also worth a look:

compare buffalo with: