$100k a year, no longer in Chicago
changea dispatch from
kingsport
TN
36.55°N
82.56°W
Kingsport is a planned 'model city' built by the Eastman Chemical Company in the early 1900s, with a downtown laid out in deliberate grids and the company still dominating the local economy. It's in the Tri-Cities area (with Bristol and Johnson City), tucked into the Appalachian foothills. Bays Mountain Park and the South Fork Holston River give it strong outdoor access. Quietly orderly.
in our guides
the verdict
less monthly outlay than Chicago
Kingsport is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
a quick ledger.
$1,383/mo
36% cheaper than Chicago(vs $2,170/mo)
0%
$412/mo less in state tax than Chicago
vs 4.95% in Chicago
$6,950/mo
$1,199 more than Chicago
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$244k
33% cheaper than Chicago
vs $365k in Chicago
312k
vs 9.3M in Chicago
field notes, weather & such.
188
pleasant days a year, in kingsport.
Chicago only manages 153 of those.
99% fewer events than Chicago. The pace eases up.
59/100
16% lower than Chicago
vs 70/100 in Chicago
Closest outdoor draw: Natural Tunnel State Park, 13.9 mi.
74/100
26% lower than Chicago
vs 100/100 in Chicago
4
98% fewer than Chicago
vs 217 nonstops in Chicago
compare kingsport with:
