$100k salary, packing up from Chicago

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Spartanburg, SC cityscape

if you left chicago

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

$607

below Chicago's monthly cost

The gap is real. Spartanburg costs noticeably less than Chicago, every month.
landable, recorded on the spartanburg entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

34% cheaper than Chicago(vs $2,170/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$129/mo more in state tax than Chicago

vs 4.95% in Chicago

03after rent

$6,358/mo

$607 more than Chicago

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

04a house here

$277k

24% cheaper than Chicago

vs $365k in Chicago

05metro size

383k

vs 9.3M in Chicago

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

191

pleasant days a year, in spartanburg.

Chicago only manages 153 of those.

But the calendar thins out: Chicago stays 86.3× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

68/100

3% lower than Chicago

vs 70/100 in Chicago

Closest outdoor draw: Croft State Park, 5 mi.

·walk score®

77/100

23% lower than Chicago

vs 100/100 in Chicago

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

91% fewer than Chicago

vs 217 nonstops in Chicago

04 · see also

same energy as spartanburg, different zip code:

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