$100k a year, no longer in Hagerstown

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Portland, OR cityscape

if you left hagerstown

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

$240

the monthly cost of moving past Hagerstown

Portland costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
landable, recorded on the portland entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,781/mo

12% more expensive than Hagerstown(vs $1,587/mo)

02state income tax

8.75%

$46/mo more in state tax than Hagerstown

vs 8.2% in Hagerstown

03after rent

$5,823/mo

$240 less than Hagerstown

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

04a house here

$562k

75% more expensive than Hagerstown

vs $321k in Hagerstown

05metro size

2.5M

vs 305k in Hagerstown

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

178

pleasant days a year, in portland.

Hagerstown only manages 160 of those.

Nights and weekends fill up faster. 6.8× more on the calendar than Hagerstown.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

87/100

55% higher than Hagerstown

vs 56/100 in Hagerstown

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

·walk score®

100/100

14% higher than Hagerstown

vs 88/100 in Hagerstown

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

57

2750% more than Hagerstown

vs 2 nonstops in Hagerstown

04 · see also

in the same ballpark as portland:

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