on $100k a year, leaving Montgomery

change
Cleveland, OH cityscape

instead of montgomery

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

#8

of 10

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#10

of 10

Biggest cities you can actually afford

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#9

of 10

Best cities to leave New York for

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#3

of 10

Best cities to live in the Midwest

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#5

of 10

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#9

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#4

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Best affordable coastal cities for families

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#5

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#3

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Best cities in the Great Lakes region

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#10

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Best cities for a $60k salary

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#10

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Affordable alternatives to Boise

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$41

below Montgomery's monthly cost

Cleveland and Montgomery land close on cost. The reasons to move are about how you'd live, not what you'd save.
landable, recorded on the cleveland entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,419/mo

3% more expensive than Montgomery(vs $1,376/mo)

02state income tax

3.99%

$84/mo less in state tax than Montgomery

vs 5% in Montgomery

03after rent

$6,582/mo

$41 more than Montgomery

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

04a house here

$252k

19% more expensive than Montgomery

vs $212k in Montgomery

05metro size

2.2M

vs 385k in Montgomery

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

159

pleasant days a year, in cleveland.

Montgomery edges ahead with 181 pleasant days. Winter has bite, though: 27 days drop below 20° vs Montgomery's 1.

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

63/100

43% higher than Montgomery

vs 44/100 in Montgomery

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

·walk score®

96/100

57% higher than Montgomery

vs 61/100 in Montgomery

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

56

1767% more than Montgomery

vs 3 nonstops in Montgomery

04 · see also

same energy as cleveland, different zip code:

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