same $100k income, fresh start from Columbia

change
Denver, CO cityscape

if you left columbia

Denver

co · metro 3.0M

photo: Noel Aph / pexels

a dispatch from

denver

CO

39.74°N

104.98°W

Denver is a mile above sea level, an hour from a dozen ski resorts, and surrounded by mountains that make every west-facing window feel like a vacation. The air is dry, the sun shows up roughly 300 days a year, and craft beer is taken seriously enough to have its own annual pilgrimage (the Great American Beer Festival). Green chile is a hill people will die on. The patio season is essentially eternal.

metro3.0M

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$137

pricier each month than Columbia

A small premium for Denver. Worth it only if the rest of the city earns it back.
landable, recorded on the denver entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,863/mo

20% more expensive than Columbia(vs $1,551/mo)

02state income tax

4.4%

$175/mo less in state tax than Columbia

vs 6.5% in Columbia

03after rent

$6,104/mo

$137 less than Columbia

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

04a house here

$599k

135% more expensive than Columbia

vs $255k in Columbia

05metro size

3.0M

vs 857k in Columbia

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

174

pleasant days a year, in denver.

Columbia has the edge here, logging 189 pleasant days a year. Bring a real coat. 66 days stay under 20°, well past Columbia's 2.

Nights and weekends fill up faster. 23.9× more on the calendar than Columbia.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

85/100

55% higher than Columbia

vs 55/100 in Columbia

Closest outdoor draw: Rocky Mountain National Park, 47.3 mi.

·walk score®

97/100

14% higher than Columbia

vs 85/100 in Columbia

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

169

1590% more than Columbia

vs 10 nonstops in Columbia

04 · see also

if denver appeals, also worth a look:

see also

boulder

better weather

turn the page

see also

las vegas

$498/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

washington

better weather

turn the page

compare denver with:

BoulderLas VegasWashington