same $100k income, fresh start from San Diego
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 San Diego
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
52% cheaper than San Diego(vs $2,890/mo)
0%
$775/mo less in state tax than San Diego
vs 9.3% in San Diego
$6,950/mo
$2,282 more than San Diego
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$244k
76% cheaper than San Diego
vs $1010k in San Diego
312k
vs 3.3M in San Diego
field notes, weather & such.
188
pleasant days a year, in kingsport.
San Diego actually gets more: 332 pleasant days a year.
San Diego hosts 21.8× more events.
59/100
21% lower than San Diego
vs 75/100 in San Diego
Closest outdoor draw: Natural Tunnel State Park, 13.9 mi.
74/100
25% lower than San Diego
vs 99/100 in San Diego
4
93% fewer than San Diego
vs 55 nonstops in San Diego
cities that play in kingsport's register:
compare kingsport with:
