same $100k income, fresh start from St. Louis

change
Portland, OR cityscape

instead of st. louis

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

$708

more expensive each month than St. Louis

Portland runs a little pricier than St. Louis. The case has to be about something other than rent.
landable, recorded on the portland entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,781/mo

26% more expensive than St. Louis(vs $1,411/mo)

02state income tax

8.75%

$337/mo more in state tax than St. Louis

vs 4.7% in St. Louis

03after rent

$5,823/mo

$708 less than St. Louis

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

04a house here

$562k

103% more expensive than St. Louis

vs $277k in St. Louis

05metro size

2.5M

vs 2.8M in St. Louis

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

178

pleasant days a year, in portland.

St. Louis barely cracks 174 pleasant ones.

1.5× the events of St. Louis, and the calendar shows it.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

87/100

28% higher than St. Louis

vs 68/100 in St. Louis

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

·walk score®

100/100

15% higher than St. Louis

vs 87/100 in St. Louis

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

57

5% fewer than St. Louis

vs 60 nonstops in St. Louis

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