with $100k coming in, swapping out of San Francisco

change
Roanoke, VA cityscape

if you left san francisco

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

$2,060

less monthly outlay than San Francisco

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

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,382/mo

56% cheaper than San Francisco(vs $3,146/mo)

02state income tax

5.75%

$296/mo less in state tax than San Francisco

vs 9.3% in San Francisco

03after rent

$6,472/mo

$2,060 more than San Francisco

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

04a house here

$296k

76% cheaper than San Francisco

vs $1239k in San Francisco

05metro size

314k

vs 4.6M in San Francisco

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

179

pleasant days a year, in roanoke.

San Francisco edges ahead with 312 pleasant days.

But the calendar thins out: San Francisco stays 21.5× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

69/100

17% lower than San Francisco

vs 83/100 in San Francisco

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

·walk score®

94/100

5% lower than San Francisco

vs 99/100 in San Francisco

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

9

92% fewer than San Francisco

vs 111 nonstops in San Francisco

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