on $100k a year, leaving Raleigh

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Pensacola, FL cityscape

from raleigh

Pensacola

fl · metro 530k

photo: Viktoria B. / pexels

a dispatch from

pensacola

FL

30.42°N

87.22°W

Pensacola is the Blue Angels' home base (you can watch their practices for free at the National Naval Aviation Museum), with sugar-white sand beaches on the Gulf and a charming historic district that goes back to the Spanish. It's the western-most Florida city, closer to New Orleans than to Miami in feel. Affordable, sunny, and serious about seafood.

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$286

under Raleigh, every month

Pensacola gives you room Raleigh doesn't. Same gross salary, lower monthly cost of living.
landable, recorded on the pensacola entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,752/mo

5% more expensive than Raleigh(vs $1,663/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$375/mo less in state tax than Raleigh

vs 4.5% in Raleigh

03after rent

$6,581/mo

$286 more than Raleigh

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$303k

31% cheaper than Raleigh

vs $440k in Raleigh

05metro size

530k

vs 1.5M in Raleigh

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

226

pleasant days a year, in pensacola.

Raleigh barely cracks 201 pleasant ones.

Lighter on events: Raleigh packs 1.8× more into a month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

69/100

19% higher than Raleigh

vs 58/100 in Raleigh

Closest outdoor draw: Gulf Islands National Seashore, 6.9 mi.

·walk score®

64/100

34% lower than Raleigh

vs 97/100 in Raleigh

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

11

72% fewer than Raleigh

vs 39 nonstops in Raleigh

04 · see also

neighbors of pensacola on the map of tradeoffs:

see also

eugene

better park access

turn the page

see also

daytona beach

similar overall lifestyle

turn the page

see also

greenville

more things to do

turn the page

compare pensacola with:

EugeneDaytona BeachGreenville