$100k a year, no longer in San Diego

change
Columbus, OH cityscape

swapping out of san diego

Columbus

oh · metro 2.2M

a dispatch from

columbus

OH

39.96°N

83.00°W

Columbus is Ohio State on autumn Saturdays (the Horseshoe holds 100,000+ and they all wear scarlet), German Village's cobblestone streets and brick cottages, and a Short North gallery scene that punches well above its weight. It's quietly become a test market for the rest of America because the demographics line up so neatly. The food scene leans young, weird, and good. 'Buckeyes' here can mean either the football team or the chocolate-peanut-butter candy.

metro2.2M

01 · the verdict

the verdict

$1,822

less monthly outlay than San Diego

Move to Columbus and the monthly math gets easier. San Diego's rent is the headline; Columbus's is a footnote.
landable, recorded on the columbus entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,511/mo

48% cheaper than San Diego(vs $2,890/mo)

02state income tax

3.99%

$442/mo less in state tax than San Diego

vs 9.3% in San Diego

03after rent

$6,490/mo

$1,822 more than San Diego

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

04a house here

$350k

65% cheaper than San Diego

vs $1010k in San Diego

05metro size

2.2M

vs 3.3M in San Diego

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

171

pleasant days a year, in columbus.

San Diego has the edge here, logging 332 pleasant days a year. Winter shows up, though: 29 days below 20° vs San Diego's 0.

But the calendar thins out: San Diego stays 1.5× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

57/100

24% lower than San Diego

vs 75/100 in San Diego

Closest outdoor draw: Alum Creek State Park, 16.2 mi.

·walk score®

85/100

14% lower than San Diego

vs 99/100 in San Diego

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

32

42% fewer than San Diego

vs 55 nonstops in San Diego

04 · see also

same energy as columbus, different zip code:

compare columbus with: