$100k salary, packing up from Reno

change
Roanoke, VA cityscape

if you left reno

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

$47

below Reno'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

28% cheaper than Reno(vs $1,908/mo)

02state income tax

5.75%

$479/mo more in state tax than Reno

vs 0% in Reno

03after rent

$6,472/mo

$47 more than Reno

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

04a house here

$296k

48% cheaper than Reno

vs $574k in Reno

05metro size

314k

vs 565k in Reno

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

179

pleasant days a year, in roanoke.

Reno actually gets more: 201 pleasant days a year.

But the calendar thins out: Reno stays 8.6× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

69/100

3% lower than Reno

vs 71/100 in Reno

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

·walk score®

94/100

1% lower than Reno

vs 95/100 in Reno

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

9

31% fewer than Reno

vs 13 nonstops in Reno

04 · see also

in the same ballpark as roanoke:

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