on $100k a year, leaving Las Vegas

change
Roanoke, VA cityscape

swapping out of las vegas

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

$130

more each month than Las Vegas ran you

Barely costlier than Las Vegas. If Roanoke pulls you in, it's the life it offers, not the price tag.
landable, recorded on the roanoke entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,382/mo

20% cheaper than Las Vegas(vs $1,731/mo)

02state income tax

5.75%

$479/mo more in state tax than Las Vegas

vs 0% in Las Vegas

03after rent

$6,472/mo

$130 less than Las Vegas

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

04a house here

$296k

34% cheaper than Las Vegas

vs $451k in Las Vegas

05metro size

314k

vs 2.3M in Las Vegas

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

179

pleasant days a year, in roanoke.

Las Vegas gets 210 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine.

But the calendar thins out: Las Vegas stays 292.3× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

69/100

14% lower than Las Vegas

vs 80/100 in Las Vegas

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

·walk score®

94/100

15% higher than Las Vegas

vs 82/100 in Las Vegas

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

9

93% fewer than Las Vegas

vs 133 nonstops in Las Vegas

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