same $100k income, fresh start from Jacksonville

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Roanoke, VA cityscape

if you left jacksonville

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

$182

pricier each month than Jacksonville

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

18% cheaper than Jacksonville(vs $1,679/mo)

02state income tax

5.75%

$479/mo more in state tax than Jacksonville

vs 0% in Jacksonville

03after rent

$6,472/mo

$182 less than Jacksonville

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

04a house here

$296k

17% cheaper than Jacksonville

vs $358k in Jacksonville

05metro size

314k

vs 1.7M in Jacksonville

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

179

pleasant days a year, in roanoke.

Jacksonville edges ahead with 198 pleasant days.

77% fewer events than Jacksonville. The pace eases up.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

69/100

8% higher than Jacksonville

vs 64/100 in Jacksonville

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

·walk score®

94/100

1% higher than Jacksonville

vs 93/100 in Jacksonville

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

9

65% fewer than Jacksonville

vs 26 nonstops in Jacksonville

04 · see also

cities that play in roanoke's register:

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