with $100k coming in, swapping out of Austin
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
more expensive each month than Austin
You'd pay for Durham. The question is whether the days are worth the difference.
a quick ledger.
$1,684/mo
6% more expensive than Austin(vs $1,583/mo)
4.5%
$375/mo more in state tax than Austin
vs 0% in Austin
$6,274/mo
$476 less than Austin
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$415k
4% cheaper than Austin
vs $433k in Austin
609k
vs 2.5M in Austin
field notes, weather & such.
178
pleasant days a year, in durham.
Austin only manages 170 of those.
But the calendar thins out: Austin stays 3.4× busier.
50/100
11% lower than Austin
vs 56/100 in Austin
Closest outdoor draw: William B. Umstead State Park, 10.9 mi.
80/100
19% lower than Austin
vs 99/100 in Austin
39
7% fewer than Austin
vs 42 nonstops in Austin
compare durham with:
