same $100k income, fresh start from Syracuse

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Roanoke, VA cityscape

swapping out of syracuse

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

$245

cheaper each month than Syracuse

Not a fortune, but real money. Roanoke runs cheaper than Syracuse month over month.
landable, recorded on the roanoke entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,382/mo

15% cheaper than Syracuse(vs $1,619/mo)

02state income tax

5.75%

$8/mo less in state tax than Syracuse

vs 5.85% in Syracuse

03after rent

$6,472/mo

$245 more than Syracuse

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

04a house here

$296k

16% more expensive than Syracuse

vs $254k in Syracuse

05metro size

314k

vs 653k in Syracuse

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

179

pleasant days a year, in roanoke.

Syracuse only manages 142 of those.

But the calendar thins out: Syracuse stays 5.8× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

69/100

17% higher than Syracuse

vs 59/100 in Syracuse

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

·walk score®

94/100

3% higher than Syracuse

vs 91/100 in Syracuse

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

9

44% fewer than Syracuse

vs 16 nonstops in Syracuse

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