$100k salary, packing up from Des Moines
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 Des Moines
The gap is real. Kingsport costs noticeably less than Des Moines, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,383/mo
9% more expensive than Des Moines(vs $1,268/mo)
0%
$500/mo less in state tax than Des Moines
vs 6% in Des Moines
$6,950/mo
$385 more than Des Moines
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$244k
18% cheaper than Des Moines
vs $300k in Des Moines
312k
vs 737k in Des Moines
field notes, weather & such.
188
pleasant days a year, in kingsport.
Des Moines barely cracks 151 pleasant ones.
But the calendar thins out: Des Moines stays 5.8× busier.
59/100
7% higher than Des Moines
vs 55/100 in Des Moines
Closest outdoor draw: Natural Tunnel State Park, 13.9 mi.
74/100
5% lower than Des Moines
vs 78/100 in Des Moines
4
76% fewer than Des Moines
vs 17 nonstops in Des Moines
neighbors of kingsport on the map of tradeoffs:
compare kingsport with:
