$100k salary, packing up from Des Moines
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
the monthly cost of moving past Des Moines
Durham costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
a quick ledger.
$1,684/mo
33% more expensive than Des Moines(vs $1,268/mo)
4.5%
$125/mo less in state tax than Des Moines
vs 6% in Des Moines
$6,274/mo
$291 less than Des Moines
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$415k
38% more expensive than Des Moines
vs $300k in Des Moines
609k
vs 737k in Des Moines
field notes, weather & such.
178
pleasant days a year, in durham.
Des Moines keeps to 151 pleasant days a year.
Comparable to Des Moines for events and concerts.
50/100
9% lower than Des Moines
vs 55/100 in Des Moines
Closest outdoor draw: William B. Umstead State Park, 10.9 mi.
80/100
3% higher than Des Moines
vs 78/100 in Des Moines
39
129% more than Des Moines
vs 17 nonstops in Des Moines
if durham appeals, also worth a look:
compare durham with:
