$100k salary, packing up from Corpus Christi

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Portland, OR cityscape

next stop after corpus christi

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

$1,100

the monthly cost of moving past Corpus Christi

A real premium for Portland. Worth it only if the city itself is the whole point.
landable, recorded on the portland entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,781/mo

26% more expensive than Corpus Christi(vs $1,410/mo)

02state income tax

8.75%

$729/mo more in state tax than Corpus Christi

vs 0% in Corpus Christi

03after rent

$5,823/mo

$1,100 less than Corpus Christi

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

04a house here

$562k

154% more expensive than Corpus Christi

vs $221k in Corpus Christi

05metro size

2.5M

vs 446k in Corpus Christi

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

178

pleasant days a year, in portland.

Corpus Christi only manages 171 of those.

A real upgrade on things to do: 7.2× Corpus Christi's pace.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

87/100

74% higher than Corpus Christi

vs 50/100 in Corpus Christi

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

·walk score®

100/100

43% higher than Corpus Christi

vs 70/100 in Corpus Christi

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

57

1325% more than Corpus Christi

vs 4 nonstops in Corpus Christi

04 · see also

neighbors of portland on the map of tradeoffs:

see also

albuquerque

$530/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

cincinnati

$629/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

salt lake city

$515/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare portland with:

AlbuquerqueCincinnatiSalt Lake City