on $100k a year, leaving Tucson
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
more each month than Tucson ran you
Raleigh costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
a quick ledger.
$1,663/mo
15% more expensive than Tucson(vs $1,444/mo)
4.5%
$167/mo more in state tax than Tucson
vs 2.5% in Tucson
$6,295/mo
$386 less than Tucson
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$440k
25% more expensive than Tucson
vs $352k in Tucson
1.5M
vs 1.1M in Tucson
field notes, weather & such.
201
pleasant days a year, in raleigh.
Tucson actually gets more: 202 pleasant days a year.
1.4× the events of Tucson, and the calendar shows it.
58/100
12% lower than Tucson
vs 66/100 in Tucson
Closest outdoor draw: William B. Umstead State Park, 9.9 mi.
97/100
45% higher than Tucson
vs 67/100 in Tucson
39
144% more than Tucson
vs 16 nonstops in Tucson
neighbors of raleigh on the map of tradeoffs:
