$100k a year, no longer in Lakeland
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 Lakeland ran you
Durham costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
a quick ledger.
$1,684/mo
8% cheaper than Lakeland(vs $1,834/mo)
4.5%
$375/mo more in state tax than Lakeland
vs 0% in Lakeland
$6,274/mo
$225 less than Lakeland
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$415k
38% more expensive than Lakeland
vs $301k in Lakeland
609k
vs 818k in Lakeland
field notes, weather & such.
178
pleasant days a year, in durham.
Lakeland has the edge here, logging 206 pleasant days a year.
A month here packs 2.9× the events of Lakeland.
50/100
4% higher than Lakeland
vs 48/100 in Lakeland
Closest outdoor draw: William B. Umstead State Park, 10.9 mi.
80/100
21% higher than Lakeland
vs 66/100 in Lakeland
39
43% fewer than Lakeland
vs 68 nonstops in Lakeland
if durham appeals, also worth a look:
compare durham with:
