$100k a year, no longer in Sacramento

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Roanoke, VA cityscape

if you left sacramento

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

$1,140

under Sacramento, every month

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

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,382/mo

38% cheaper than Sacramento(vs $2,226/mo)

02state income tax

5.75%

$296/mo less in state tax than Sacramento

vs 9.3% in Sacramento

03after rent

$6,472/mo

$1,140 more than Sacramento

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

04a house here

$296k

50% cheaper than Sacramento

vs $589k in Sacramento

05metro size

314k

vs 2.4M in Sacramento

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

179

pleasant days a year, in roanoke.

Sacramento gets 211 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine.

86% fewer events than Sacramento. The pace eases up.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

69/100

8% lower than Sacramento

vs 75/100 in Sacramento

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

·walk score®

94/100

4% lower than Sacramento

vs 98/100 in Sacramento

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

9

68% fewer than Sacramento

vs 28 nonstops in Sacramento

04 · see also

if roanoke appeals, also worth a look:

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