$100k a year, no longer in Wichita

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Roanoke, VA cityscape

from wichita

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

$213

more each month than Wichita ran you

Roanoke runs a little pricier than Wichita. The case has to be about something other than rent.
landable, recorded on the roanoke entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,382/mo

18% more expensive than Wichita(vs $1,173/mo)

02state income tax

5.75%

$4/mo more in state tax than Wichita

vs 5.7% in Wichita

03after rent

$6,472/mo

$213 less than Wichita

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

04a house here

$296k

34% more expensive than Wichita

vs $221k in Wichita

05metro size

314k

vs 653k in Wichita

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

179

pleasant days a year, in roanoke.

Wichita barely cracks 164 pleasant ones.

Noticeably quieter than Wichita. About 33% fewer events on a typical month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

69/100

33% higher than Wichita

vs 52/100 in Wichita

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

·walk score®

94/100

36% higher than Wichita

vs 69/100 in Wichita

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

9

18% fewer than Wichita

vs 11 nonstops in Wichita

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