$100k salary, packing up from Portland
changea 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.
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Affordable alternatives to Boise
read the guidethe verdict
less monthly outlay than Portland
Buffalo sits well below Portland on cost. Same paycheck, a noticeably lighter month.
a quick ledger.
$1,374/mo
40% cheaper than Portland(vs $2,285/mo)
5.85%
$137/mo less in state tax than Portland
vs 7.5% in Portland
$6,472/mo
$1,049 more than Portland
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$280k
48% cheaper than Portland
vs $543k in Portland
1.2M
vs 566k in Portland
field notes, weather & such.
152
pleasant days a year, in buffalo.
Portland only manages 145 of those. Winter shows up, though: 42 days below 20° vs Portland's 19.
Nights and weekends fill up faster. 2.2× more on the calendar than Portland.
66/100
7% lower than Portland
vs 71/100 in Portland
Closest outdoor draw: Darien Lakes State Park, 23.9 mi.
91/100
7% lower than Portland
vs 98/100 in Portland
20
900% more than Portland
vs 2 nonstops in Portland
same energy as buffalo, different zip code:
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