with $100k coming in, swapping out of Charleston
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
cheaper each month than Charleston
You'd feel the difference in Durham. Not life-changing money, but real breathing room next to Charleston.
a quick ledger.
$1,684/mo
15% cheaper than Charleston(vs $1,987/mo)
4.5%
$167/mo less in state tax than Charleston
vs 6.5% in Charleston
$6,274/mo
$469 more than Charleston
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$415k
4% cheaper than Charleston
vs $432k in Charleston
609k
vs 849k in Charleston
field notes, weather & such.
178
pleasant days a year, in durham.
Charleston edges ahead with 212 pleasant days.
On par with Charleston for events and shows.
50/100
25% lower than Charleston
vs 67/100 in Charleston
Closest outdoor draw: William B. Umstead State Park, 10.9 mi.
80/100
13% lower than Charleston
vs 92/100 in Charleston
39
95% more than Charleston
vs 20 nonstops in Charleston
neighbors of durham on the map of tradeoffs:
compare durham with:
