same $100k income, fresh start from Tampa
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
cheaper each month than Tampa
Money-wise it's a wash. The case for Lakeland is everything that isn't rent.
a quick ledger.
$1,834/mo
8% cheaper than Tampa(vs $1,996/mo)
0%
vs 0% in Tampa
$6,499/mo
$162 more than Tampa
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$301k
19% cheaper than Tampa
vs $374k in Tampa
818k
vs 3.3M in Tampa
field notes, weather & such.
206
pleasant days a year, in lakeland.
Tampa edges ahead with 243 pleasant days.
But the calendar thins out: Tampa stays 4.0× busier.
48/100
23% lower than Tampa
vs 62/100 in Tampa
Closest outdoor draw: Alafia River State Park, 23 mi.
66/100
28% lower than Tampa
vs 92/100 in Tampa
68
0% fewer than Tampa
vs 68 nonstops in Tampa
compare lakeland with:
