same $100k income, fresh start from Birmingham

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Roanoke, VA cityscape

swapping out of birmingham

Roanoke

va · metro 314k

photo: Joseph Fuller / pexels

a dispatch from

roanoke

VA

37.27°N

79.94°W

Roanoke is the Star City of the South, named for the enormous illuminated star on Mill Mountain that's been lighting up the valley since 1949. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs right past town. The downtown has come back beautifully with the Taubman Museum, breweries, and a thriving market. The surrounding mountains are gorgeous in every season. Smaller and more scenic than people expect.

metro314k

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$38

more expensive each month than Birmingham

Almost a wash on cost. The case for Roanoke is about what you'd do there, not what you'd save.
landable, recorded on the roanoke entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,382/mo

2% cheaper than Birmingham(vs $1,407/mo)

02state income tax

5.75%

$63/mo more in state tax than Birmingham

vs 5% in Birmingham

03after rent

$6,472/mo

$38 less than Birmingham

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

04a house here

$296k

14% more expensive than Birmingham

vs $261k in Birmingham

05metro size

314k

vs 1.2M in Birmingham

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

179

pleasant days a year, in roanoke.

Birmingham barely cracks 171 pleasant ones.

87% fewer events than Birmingham. The pace eases up.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

69/100

13% higher than Birmingham

vs 61/100 in Birmingham

Closest outdoor draw: Smith Mountain Lake State Park, 22.3 mi.

·walk score®

94/100

19% higher than Birmingham

vs 79/100 in Birmingham

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

9

55% fewer than Birmingham

vs 20 nonstops in Birmingham

04 · see also

if roanoke appeals, also worth a look:

see also

chattanooga

$337/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

el paso

$388/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

lexington

more flight options

turn the page

compare roanoke with:

ChattanoogaEl PasoLexington