on $100k a year, leaving Lansing

change
Portland, OR cityscape

from lansing

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

$897

more each month than Lansing ran you

Portland is the expensive option. The argument has to be entirely about the place, not the price.
landable, recorded on the portland entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,781/mo

41% more expensive than Lansing(vs $1,259/mo)

02state income tax

8.75%

$375/mo more in state tax than Lansing

vs 4.25% in Lansing

03after rent

$5,823/mo

$897 less than Lansing

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

04a house here

$562k

131% more expensive than Lansing

vs $244k in Lansing

05metro size

2.5M

vs 473k in Lansing

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

178

pleasant days a year, in portland.

Lansing barely cracks 153 pleasant ones.

6.8× the events of Lansing, and the calendar shows it.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

87/100

53% higher than Lansing

vs 57/100 in Lansing

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

·walk score®

100/100

25% higher than Lansing

vs 80/100 in Lansing

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

57

850% more than Lansing

vs 6 nonstops in Lansing

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