same $100k income, fresh start from Houston
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 Houston
You'd pay for Durham. The question is whether the days are worth the difference.
a quick ledger.
$1,684/mo
5% more expensive than Houston(vs $1,610/mo)
4.5%
$375/mo more in state tax than Houston
vs 0% in Houston
$6,274/mo
$449 less than Houston
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$415k
33% more expensive than Houston
vs $311k in Houston
609k
vs 7.5M in Houston
field notes, weather & such.
178
pleasant days a year, in durham.
Houston only manages 171 of those.
But the calendar thins out: Houston stays 6.1× busier.
50/100
9% lower than Houston
vs 55/100 in Houston
Closest outdoor draw: William B. Umstead State Park, 10.9 mi.
80/100
4% higher than Houston
vs 77/100 in Houston
39
78% fewer than Houston
vs 176 nonstops in Houston
compare durham with:
