$100k salary, packing up from Phoenix
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 Phoenix
Durham edges out a little pricier. Close enough that the decision rides on the days, not the dollars.
a quick ledger.
$1,684/mo
3% cheaper than Phoenix(vs $1,739/mo)
4.5%
$167/mo more in state tax than Phoenix
vs 2.5% in Phoenix
$6,274/mo
$112 less than Phoenix
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$415k
9% cheaper than Phoenix
vs $458k in Phoenix
609k
vs 5.1M in Phoenix
field notes, weather & such.
178
pleasant days a year, in durham.
Phoenix has the edge here, logging 181 pleasant days a year.
But the calendar thins out: Phoenix stays 5.7× busier.
50/100
24% lower than Phoenix
vs 66/100 in Phoenix
Closest outdoor draw: William B. Umstead State Park, 10.9 mi.
80/100
18% lower than Phoenix
vs 97/100 in Phoenix
39
57% fewer than Phoenix
vs 91 nonstops in Phoenix
compare durham with:
