$100k salary, packing up from Mobile
changea dispatch from
raleigh
NC
35.78°N
78.64°W
Raleigh is the third leg of the Research Triangle, full of oaks (its nickname is the City of Oaks), state museums that are all free, and a downtown that's grown up fast without losing its quiet edges. NC State pumps young energy in, the food scene is sneaky-good, and the surrounding pine forests make summer evenings smell incredible. Beaches are two hours east, mountains three hours west.
in our guides
the verdict
the monthly premium over Mobile
Raleigh costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
a quick ledger.
$1,663/mo
28% more expensive than Mobile(vs $1,302/mo)
4.5%
$42/mo less in state tax than Mobile
vs 5% in Mobile
$6,295/mo
$320 less than Mobile
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$440k
127% more expensive than Mobile
vs $194k in Mobile
1.5M
vs 412k in Mobile
field notes, weather & such.
201
pleasant days a year, in raleigh.
Mobile has the edge here, logging 225 pleasant days a year.
Nights and weekends fill up faster. 2.0× more on the calendar than Mobile.
58/100
2% lower than Mobile
vs 59/100 in Mobile
Closest outdoor draw: William B. Umstead State Park, 9.9 mi.
97/100
41% higher than Mobile
vs 69/100 in Mobile
39
680% more than Mobile
vs 5 nonstops in Mobile
neighbors of raleigh on the map of tradeoffs:
