$100k salary, packing up from Albuquerque

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Portland, OR cityscape

from albuquerque

Portland

or · metro 2.5M

photo: Rufina Rusakova / pexels

a dispatch from

portland

OR

45.52°N

122.68°W

Portland is food carts, bridges, donuts shaped like Voodoo dolls, and a low-key obsession with doing things the hard, hand-made way. The 'Keep Portland Weird' bumper sticker is older than most of the influencers who quote it. Mt. Hood pops into view between buildings on clear mornings, and the bike infrastructure puts most American cities to shame. Coffee here is treated like wine.

metro2.5M

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$530

more each month than Albuquerque ran you

You'd pay for Portland. The question is whether the days are worth the difference.
landable, recorded on the portland entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,781/mo

20% more expensive than Albuquerque(vs $1,489/mo)

02state income tax

8.75%

$237/mo more in state tax than Albuquerque

vs 5.9% in Albuquerque

03after rent

$5,823/mo

$530 less than Albuquerque

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

04a house here

$562k

60% more expensive than Albuquerque

vs $351k in Albuquerque

05metro size

2.5M

vs 924k in Albuquerque

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

178

pleasant days a year, in portland.

Albuquerque has the edge here, logging 205 pleasant days a year.

A real upgrade on things to do: 2.9× Albuquerque's pace.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

87/100

7% higher than Albuquerque

vs 81/100 in Albuquerque

Closest outdoor draw: Mt. Hood National Forest, 40.4 mi.

·walk score®

100/100

6% higher than Albuquerque

vs 94/100 in Albuquerque

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

57

148% more than Albuquerque

vs 23 nonstops in Albuquerque

04 · see also

in the same ballpark as portland:

see also

cincinnati

$629/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

salt lake city

$515/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

seattle

$317/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare portland with:

CincinnatiSalt Lake CitySeattle