with $100k coming in, swapping out of Chicago
changea dispatch from
sacramento
CA
38.58°N
121.49°W
Sacramento is California's capital and California's pantry, sitting at the heart of one of the most productive farm regions on earth. The 'Farm to Fork' food movement isn't marketing here, it's just dinner. Two rivers meet downtown, summer afternoons are dry and hot enough to justify ice cream as a meal, and Tahoe is a two-hour drive when you need elevation. It's quieter than its big-city neighbors and likes it that way.
the verdict
the monthly premium over Chicago
Sacramento costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
a quick ledger.
$2,226/mo
3% more expensive than Chicago(vs $2,170/mo)
9.3%
$363/mo more in state tax than Chicago
vs 4.95% in Chicago
$5,332/mo
$419 less than Chicago
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$589k
62% more expensive than Chicago
vs $365k in Chicago
2.4M
vs 9.3M in Chicago
field notes, weather & such.
211
pleasant days a year, in sacramento.
Chicago keeps to 153 pleasant days a year. The trade is summer: 56 days above 95°, vs 1 in Chicago.
Noticeably quieter than Chicago. About 94% fewer events on a typical month.
75/100
7% higher than Chicago
vs 70/100 in Chicago
Closest outdoor draw: Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, 33.8 mi.
98/100
2% lower than Chicago
vs 100/100 in Chicago
28
87% fewer than Chicago
vs 217 nonstops in Chicago
same energy as sacramento, different zip code:
compare sacramento with:
