$100k salary, packing up from Kansas City

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Roanoke, VA cityscape

next stop after kansas city

Roanoke

va · metro 314k

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

01 · the verdict

the verdict

$32

below Kansas City's monthly cost

Money-wise it's a wash. The case for Roanoke is everything that isn't rent.
landable, recorded on the roanoke entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,382/mo

8% cheaper than Kansas City(vs $1,502/mo)

02state income tax

5.75%

$88/mo more in state tax than Kansas City

vs 4.7% in Kansas City

03after rent

$6,472/mo

$32 more than Kansas City

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

04a house here

$296k

9% cheaper than Kansas City

vs $326k in Kansas City

05metro size

314k

vs 2.2M in Kansas City

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

179

pleasant days a year, in roanoke.

Kansas City barely cracks 170 pleasant ones.

Noticeably quieter than Kansas City. About 86% fewer events on a typical month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

69/100

23% higher than Kansas City

vs 56/100 in Kansas City

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

·walk score®

94/100

0% lower than Kansas City

vs 94/100 in Kansas City

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

9

79% fewer than Kansas City

vs 43 nonstops in Kansas City

04 · see also

neighbors of roanoke on the map of tradeoffs:

compare roanoke with: