on $100k a year, leaving Chicago
changea dispatch from
hagerstown
MD
39.64°N
77.72°W
Hagerstown is the Hub City of western Maryland, where rail lines and highways converge in the Cumberland Valley. The downtown has a small but charming historic core. Antietam Battlefield is 30 minutes south, with some of the most affecting Civil War landscape in the country. The Appalachian Trail crosses just to the west. Quiet, with serious history nearby.
the verdict
lighter monthly cost than Chicago
Hagerstown gives you room Chicago doesn't. Same gross salary, lower monthly cost of living.
a quick ledger.
$1,587/mo
27% cheaper than Chicago(vs $2,170/mo)
8.2%
$271/mo more in state tax than Chicago
vs 4.95% in Chicago
$6,063/mo
$312 more than Chicago
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$321k
12% cheaper than Chicago
vs $365k in Chicago
305k
vs 9.3M in Chicago
field notes, weather & such.
160
pleasant days a year, in hagerstown.
Chicago only manages 153 of those.
But the calendar thins out: Chicago stays 71.9× busier.
56/100
20% lower than Chicago
vs 70/100 in Chicago
Closest outdoor draw: Appalachian Trail Corridor, 54.3 mi.
88/100
12% lower than Chicago
vs 100/100 in Chicago
2
99% fewer than Chicago
vs 217 nonstops in Chicago
cities that play in hagerstown's register:
compare hagerstown with:
