on $100k a year, leaving Washington

change
Eugene, OR cityscape

instead of washington

Eugene

or · metro 381k

photo: Tim Mossholder / pexels

a dispatch from

eugene

OR

44.05°N

123.09°W

Eugene is Track Town USA (Hayward Field is the spiritual home of American distance running), the University of Oregon, and a hippie-academic-outdoorsy culture that's been here since the '60s and isn't going anywhere. The Willamette and McKenzie rivers meet just outside town. Saturday Market downtown has been running for over 50 years. Coffee and craft beer are taken seriously. Misty in winter, glorious in summer.

metro381k

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$532

lighter monthly cost than Washington

Eugene gives you room Washington doesn't. Same gross salary, lower monthly cost of living.
landable, recorded on the eugene entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,799/mo

24% cheaper than Washington(vs $2,352/mo)

02state income tax

8.75%

$21/mo more in state tax than Washington

vs 8.5% in Washington

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$532 more than Washington

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$456k

27% cheaper than Washington

vs $626k in Washington

05metro size

381k

vs 6.3M in Washington

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

206

pleasant days a year, in eugene.

Washington only logs 177 pleasant days.

But the calendar thins out: Washington stays 6.0× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

75/100

14% lower than Washington

vs 87/100 in Washington

Closest outdoor draw: Willamette National Forest, 47.5 mi.

·walk score®

97/100

1% lower than Washington

vs 98/100 in Washington

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

9

94% fewer than Washington

vs 160 nonstops in Washington

04 · see also

neighbors of eugene on the map of tradeoffs:

see also

pensacola

$776/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

reno

$620/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

greenville

$436/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare eugene with:

PensacolaRenoGreenville