with $100k coming in, swapping out of Buffalo

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Spartanburg, SC cityscape

swapping out of buffalo

Spartanburg

sc · metro 383k

photo: Jenny Gregg / pexels

a dispatch from

spartanburg

SC

34.95°N

81.93°W

Spartanburg is the Upstate of South Carolina, with rolling foothills, peach orchards (yes, South Carolina actually grows more peaches than Georgia in some years), and the largest BMW manufacturing plant in the world just outside town. The downtown's been revitalizing with breweries and restaurants. Wofford and Converse keep college energy in town. The Blue Ridge is right there.

metro383k

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$114

the monthly cost of moving past Buffalo

Almost a wash on cost. The case for Spartanburg is about what you'd do there, not what you'd save.
landable, recorded on the spartanburg entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

4% more expensive than Buffalo(vs $1,374/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$54/mo more in state tax than Buffalo

vs 5.85% in Buffalo

03after rent

$6,358/mo

$114 less than Buffalo

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

04a house here

$277k

1% cheaper than Buffalo

vs $280k in Buffalo

05metro size

383k

vs 1.2M in Buffalo

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

191

pleasant days a year, in spartanburg.

Buffalo barely cracks 152 pleasant ones.

But the calendar thins out: Buffalo stays 4.5× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

68/100

3% higher than Buffalo

vs 66/100 in Buffalo

Closest outdoor draw: Croft State Park, 5 mi.

·walk score®

77/100

15% lower than Buffalo

vs 91/100 in Buffalo

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

0% fewer than Buffalo

vs 20 nonstops in Buffalo

04 · see also

if spartanburg appeals, also worth a look:

see also

greenville

better weather

turn the page

see also

hickory

$166/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

richmond

similar overall lifestyle

turn the page

compare spartanburg with:

GreenvilleHickoryRichmond