$100k salary, packing up from Raleigh
changea dispatch from
lakeland
FL
28.04°N
81.95°W
Lakeland has the largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world, on the Florida Southern College campus (designed in the 1940s, all skylights and copper). The city sits between Tampa and Orlando, with actual swans patrolling its namesake downtown lake (the city even has a swan management program). Publix is headquartered here, which Floridians treat as a point of pride.
the verdict
below Raleigh's monthly cost
The gap is real. Lakeland costs noticeably less than Raleigh, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,834/mo
10% more expensive than Raleigh(vs $1,663/mo)
0%
$375/mo less in state tax than Raleigh
vs 4.5% in Raleigh
$6,499/mo
$204 more than Raleigh
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$301k
32% cheaper than Raleigh
vs $440k in Raleigh
818k
vs 1.5M in Raleigh
field notes, weather & such.
206
pleasant days a year, in lakeland.
Raleigh only logs 201 pleasant days.
Noticeably quieter than Raleigh. About 74% fewer events on a typical month.
48/100
17% lower than Raleigh
vs 58/100 in Raleigh
Closest outdoor draw: Alafia River State Park, 23 mi.
66/100
32% lower than Raleigh
vs 97/100 in Raleigh
68
74% more than Raleigh
vs 39 nonstops in Raleigh
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