$100k a year, no longer in Salem

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Denver, CO cityscape

next stop after salem

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

$142

less monthly outlay than Salem

A near-tie on cost. What separates Denver is the life around the numbers.
landable, recorded on the denver entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,863/mo

13% more expensive than Salem(vs $1,642/mo)

02state income tax

4.4%

$362/mo less in state tax than Salem

vs 8.75% in Salem

03after rent

$6,104/mo

$142 more than Salem

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

04a house here

$599k

33% more expensive than Salem

vs $452k in Salem

05metro size

3.0M

vs 437k in Salem

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

174

pleasant days a year, in denver.

Salem gets 201 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. Winter asks for something in return: 66 days under 20° here, 1 in Salem.

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

85/100

23% higher than Salem

vs 69/100 in Salem

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

·walk score®

97/100

10% higher than Salem

vs 88/100 in Salem

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

169

0% fewer than Salem

vs 0 nonstops in Salem

04 · see also

same energy as denver, different zip code:

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