$100k salary, packing up from Detroit

change
Roanoke, VA cityscape

instead of detroit

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

$35

the monthly premium over Detroit

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

6% cheaper than Detroit(vs $1,472/mo)

02state income tax

5.75%

$125/mo more in state tax than Detroit

vs 4.25% in Detroit

03after rent

$6,472/mo

$35 less than Detroit

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

04a house here

$296k

13% more expensive than Detroit

vs $262k in Detroit

05metro size

314k

vs 4.3M in Detroit

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

179

pleasant days a year, in roanoke.

Detroit barely cracks 160 pleasant ones.

But the calendar thins out: Detroit stays 7.5× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

69/100

47% higher than Detroit

vs 47/100 in Detroit

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

·walk score®

94/100

5% lower than Detroit

vs 99/100 in Detroit

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

9

93% fewer than Detroit

vs 135 nonstops in Detroit

04 · see also

in the same ballpark as roanoke:

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