on $100k a year, leaving Indianapolis
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 each month than Indianapolis ran you
You'd pay for Durham. The question is whether the days are worth the difference.
a quick ledger.
$1,684/mo
11% more expensive than Indianapolis(vs $1,511/mo)
4.5%
$125/mo more in state tax than Indianapolis
vs 3% in Indianapolis
$6,274/mo
$298 less than Indianapolis
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$415k
40% more expensive than Indianapolis
vs $296k in Indianapolis
609k
vs 2.1M in Indianapolis
field notes, weather & such.
178
pleasant days a year, in durham.
Indianapolis only manages 174 of those.
But the calendar thins out: Indianapolis stays 2.5× busier.
50/100
19% lower than Indianapolis
vs 62/100 in Indianapolis
Closest outdoor draw: William B. Umstead State Park, 10.9 mi.
80/100
19% lower than Indianapolis
vs 99/100 in Indianapolis
39
11% more than Indianapolis
vs 35 nonstops in Indianapolis
if durham appeals, also worth a look:
compare durham with:
