same $100k income, fresh start from Riverside

change
Roanoke, VA cityscape

next stop after riverside

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

$1,407

lighter monthly cost than Riverside

Roanoke runs on a fraction of Riverside's budget. Same paycheck, real lifestyle upgrade.
landable, recorded on the roanoke entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,382/mo

45% cheaper than Riverside(vs $2,493/mo)

02state income tax

5.75%

$296/mo less in state tax than Riverside

vs 9.3% in Riverside

03after rent

$6,472/mo

$1,407 more than Riverside

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

04a house here

$296k

50% cheaper than Riverside

vs $595k in Riverside

05metro size

314k

vs 4.7M in Riverside

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

179

pleasant days a year, in roanoke.

Riverside gets 249 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine.

2.0× the events of Riverside, and the calendar shows it.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

69/100

0% lower than Riverside

vs 69/100 in Riverside

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

·walk score®

94/100

2% higher than Riverside

vs 92/100 in Riverside

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

9

36% fewer than Riverside

vs 14 nonstops in Riverside

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