same $100k income, fresh start from Columbia

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Cleveland, OH cityscape

from columbia

Cleveland

oh · metro 2.2M

photo: Stephen Leonardi / pexels

a dispatch from

cleveland

OH

41.50°N

81.69°W

Cleveland is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the West Side Market's 100+ years of pierogies and bratwurst, and Lake Erie sunsets that put the coastal hype to shame. The Cuyahoga River caught fire so many times it inspired the Clean Water Act. The Cleveland Orchestra is consistently ranked among the world's best. Summers on the lake are gorgeous, and the food scene is having a real moment.

metro2.2M

in our guides

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Affordable alternatives to Boise

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$341

lighter monthly cost than Columbia

Not a fortune, but real money. Cleveland runs cheaper than Columbia month over month.
landable, recorded on the cleveland entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,419/mo

9% cheaper than Columbia(vs $1,551/mo)

02state income tax

3.99%

$209/mo less in state tax than Columbia

vs 6.5% in Columbia

03after rent

$6,582/mo

$341 more than Columbia

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

04a house here

$252k

1% cheaper than Columbia

vs $255k in Columbia

05metro size

2.2M

vs 857k in Columbia

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

159

pleasant days a year, in cleveland.

Columbia gets 189 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. Winter has bite, though: 27 days drop below 20° vs Columbia's 2.

4.6× the events of Columbia, and the calendar shows it.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

63/100

15% higher than Columbia

vs 55/100 in Columbia

Closest outdoor draw: Cuyahoga Valley National Park, 29.7 mi.

·walk score®

96/100

13% higher than Columbia

vs 85/100 in Columbia

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

56

460% more than Columbia

vs 10 nonstops in Columbia

04 · see also

if cleveland appeals, also worth a look:

see also

st. louis

better park access

turn the page

see also

kansas city

better weather

turn the page

see also

pittsburgh

$23/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare cleveland with:

St. LouisKansas CityPittsburgh