$100k a year, no longer in Washington
changea dispatch from
harrisburg
PA
40.26°N
76.88°W
Harrisburg is the Pennsylvania state capital sitting on the Susquehanna River, with a gorgeous Beaux-Arts capitol building (Theodore Roosevelt called it the handsomest building he ever saw). City Island in the middle of the river is a small park with minor league baseball. Hershey is 15 minutes east (yes, that Hershey). Slower-paced than its metro neighbors.
in our guides
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Best affordable cities to retire
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Best cities to leave New York for
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Best cities on the East Coast
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Best cities to leave Boston for
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Best cities to leave DC for
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Best cities for creatives and artists
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Affordable alternatives to Boise
read the guidethe verdict
under Washington, every month
Move to Harrisburg and the monthly math gets easier. Washington's rent is the headline; Harrisburg's is a footnote.
a quick ledger.
$1,446/mo
39% cheaper than Washington(vs $2,352/mo)
3.07%
$452/mo less in state tax than Washington
vs 8.5% in Washington
$6,632/mo
$1,359 more than Washington
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$309k
51% cheaper than Washington
vs $626k in Washington
606k
vs 6.3M in Washington
field notes, weather & such.
152
pleasant days a year, in harrisburg.
Washington gets 177 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. A real winter, not a brutal one: 33 days under 20°, vs 11 in Washington.
Lighter on events: Washington packs 4.9× more into a month.
69/100
21% lower than Washington
vs 87/100 in Washington
Closest outdoor draw: Gifford Pinchot State Park, 12.7 mi.
93/100
5% lower than Washington
vs 98/100 in Washington
12
92% fewer than Washington
vs 160 nonstops in Washington
in the same ballpark as harrisburg:
