on $100k a year, leaving Los Angeles

change
Roanoke, VA cityscape

if you left los angeles

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

$1,813

lighter monthly cost than Los Angeles

Roanoke sits well below Los Angeles on cost. Same paycheck, a noticeably lighter month.
landable, recorded on the roanoke entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,382/mo

52% cheaper than Los Angeles(vs $2,899/mo)

02state income tax

5.75%

$296/mo less in state tax than Los Angeles

vs 9.3% in Los Angeles

03after rent

$6,472/mo

$1,813 more than Los Angeles

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

04a house here

$296k

71% cheaper than Los Angeles

vs $1029k in Los Angeles

05metro size

314k

vs 12.8M in Los Angeles

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

179

pleasant days a year, in roanoke.

Los Angeles has the edge here, logging 283 pleasant days a year.

Lighter on events: Los Angeles packs 29.0× more into a month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

69/100

3% higher than Los Angeles

vs 67/100 in Los Angeles

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

·walk score®

94/100

2% lower than Los Angeles

vs 96/100 in Los Angeles

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

9

94% fewer than Los Angeles

vs 150 nonstops in Los Angeles

04 · see also

neighbors of roanoke on the map of tradeoffs:

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