on $100k a year, leaving San Jose
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
under San Jose, every month
Durham runs on a fraction of San Jose's budget. Same paycheck, real lifestyle upgrade.
a quick ledger.
$1,684/mo
51% cheaper than San Jose(vs $3,470/mo)
4.5%
$400/mo less in state tax than San Jose
vs 9.3% in San Jose
$6,274/mo
$2,186 more than San Jose
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$415k
77% cheaper than San Jose
vs $1796k in San Jose
609k
vs 1.9M in San Jose
field notes, weather & such.
178
pleasant days a year, in durham.
San Jose has the edge here, logging 283 pleasant days a year.
44% fewer events than San Jose. The pace eases up.
50/100
29% lower than San Jose
vs 70/100 in San Jose
Closest outdoor draw: William B. Umstead State Park, 10.9 mi.
80/100
16% lower than San Jose
vs 95/100 in San Jose
39
34% more than San Jose
vs 29 nonstops in San Jose
cities that play in durham's register:
compare durham with:
