$100k a year, no longer in Hickory

change
Denver, CO cityscape

swapping out of hickory

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

$420

the monthly cost of moving past Hickory

You'd pay for Denver. The question is whether the days are worth the difference.
landable, recorded on the denver entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,863/mo

30% more expensive than Hickory(vs $1,434/mo)

02state income tax

4.4%

$8/mo less in state tax than Hickory

vs 4.5% in Hickory

03after rent

$6,104/mo

$420 less than Hickory

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

04a house here

$599k

123% more expensive than Hickory

vs $268k in Hickory

05metro size

3.0M

vs 370k in Hickory

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

174

pleasant days a year, in denver.

Hickory actually gets more: 189 pleasant days a year. Bring a real coat. 66 days stay under 20°, well past Hickory's 4.

A real upgrade on things to do: 23.9× Hickory's pace.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

85/100

33% higher than Hickory

vs 64/100 in Hickory

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

·walk score®

97/100

39% higher than Hickory

vs 70/100 in Hickory

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

169

0% fewer than Hickory

vs 0 nonstops in Hickory

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