same $100k income, fresh start from Hartford

change
Roanoke, VA cityscape

instead of hartford

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

$528

cheaper each month than Hartford

Not a fortune, but real money. Roanoke runs cheaper than Hartford month over month.
landable, recorded on the roanoke entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,382/mo

28% cheaper than Hartford(vs $1,931/mo)

02state income tax

5.75%

$21/mo more in state tax than Hartford

vs 5.5% in Hartford

03after rent

$6,472/mo

$528 more than Hartford

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

04a house here

$296k

28% cheaper than Hartford

vs $411k in Hartford

05metro size

314k

vs 1.2M in Hartford

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

179

pleasant days a year, in roanoke.

Hartford barely cracks 148 pleasant ones.

But the calendar thins out: Hartford stays 2.4× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

69/100

3% higher than Hartford

vs 67/100 in Hartford

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

·walk score®

94/100

3% higher than Hartford

vs 91/100 in Hartford

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

9

65% fewer than Hartford

vs 26 nonstops in Hartford

04 · see also

same energy as roanoke, different zip code:

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