same $100k income, fresh start from Wichita

change
Portland, OR cityscape

instead of wichita

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

$862

more each month than Wichita ran you

Portland costs noticeably more than Wichita. You'd be paying for Portland itself, not for breathing room around it.
landable, recorded on the portland entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,781/mo

52% more expensive than Wichita(vs $1,173/mo)

02state income tax

8.75%

$254/mo more in state tax than Wichita

vs 5.7% in Wichita

03after rent

$5,823/mo

$862 less than Wichita

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

04a house here

$562k

154% more expensive than Wichita

vs $221k in Wichita

05metro size

2.5M

vs 653k in Wichita

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

178

pleasant days a year, in portland.

Wichita only manages 164 of those.

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

87/100

67% higher than Wichita

vs 52/100 in Wichita

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

·walk score®

100/100

45% higher than Wichita

vs 69/100 in Wichita

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

57

418% more than Wichita

vs 11 nonstops in Wichita

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