on $100k a year, leaving Durham

change
Denver, CO cityscape

if you left durham

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

$170

pricier each month than Durham

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

11% more expensive than Durham(vs $1,684/mo)

02state income tax

4.4%

$8/mo less in state tax than Durham

vs 4.5% in Durham

03after rent

$6,104/mo

$170 less than Durham

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

04a house here

$599k

44% more expensive than Durham

vs $415k in Durham

05metro size

3.0M

vs 609k in Durham

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

174

pleasant days a year, in denver.

Durham actually gets more: 178 pleasant days a year. Bring a real coat. 66 days stay under 20°, well past Durham's 5.

A real upgrade on things to do: 13.0× Durham's pace.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

85/100

70% higher than Durham

vs 50/100 in Durham

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

·walk score®

97/100

21% higher than Durham

vs 80/100 in Durham

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

169

333% more than Durham

vs 39 nonstops in Durham

04 · see also

in the same ballpark as denver:

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