$100k salary, packing up from Atlanta
changea dispatch from
durham
NC
35.99°N
78.90°W
Durham is Duke University, old tobacco warehouses turned into incredible restaurants and breweries (the American Tobacco Campus is a model for adaptive reuse), and a food scene that punches way above its size (multiple James Beard winners). Bull City pride runs deep. The Eno River and Duke Gardens are right in town. It's more diverse, weirder, and more interesting than outsiders expect.
the verdict
less monthly outlay than Atlanta
The gap is real. Durham costs noticeably less than Atlanta, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,684/mo
7% cheaper than Atlanta(vs $1,814/mo)
4.5%
$82/mo less in state tax than Atlanta
vs 5.49% in Atlanta
$6,274/mo
$212 more than Atlanta
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$415k
7% more expensive than Atlanta
vs $386k in Atlanta
609k
vs 6.3M in Atlanta
field notes, weather & such.
178
pleasant days a year, in durham.
Atlanta edges ahead with 204 pleasant days.
But the calendar thins out: Atlanta stays 6.8× busier.
50/100
25% lower than Atlanta
vs 67/100 in Atlanta
Closest outdoor draw: William B. Umstead State Park, 10.9 mi.
80/100
14% lower than Atlanta
vs 93/100 in Atlanta
39
82% fewer than Atlanta
vs 217 nonstops in Atlanta
compare durham with:
