on $100k a year, leaving Madison
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
lighter monthly cost than Madison
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
17% cheaper than Madison(vs $1,673/mo)
0%
$523/mo less in state tax than Madison
vs 6.27% in Madison
$6,950/mo
$812 more than Madison
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$244k
47% cheaper than Madison
vs $465k in Madison
312k
vs 694k in Madison
field notes, weather & such.
188
pleasant days a year, in kingsport.
Madison only manages 147 of those.
But the calendar thins out: Madison stays 5.0× busier.
59/100
12% lower than Madison
vs 67/100 in Madison
Closest outdoor draw: Natural Tunnel State Park, 13.9 mi.
74/100
16% lower than Madison
vs 88/100 in Madison
4
64% fewer than Madison
vs 11 nonstops in Madison
if kingsport appeals, also worth a look:
compare kingsport with:
