$100k a year, no longer in Honolulu

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Spartanburg, SC cityscape

if you left honolulu

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

$1,784

less monthly outlay than Honolulu

Spartanburg is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
landable, recorded on the spartanburg entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

50% cheaper than Honolulu(vs $2,843/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$375/mo less in state tax than Honolulu

vs 11% in Honolulu

03after rent

$6,358/mo

$1,784 more than Honolulu

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

04a house here

$277k

74% cheaper than Honolulu

vs $1061k in Honolulu

05metro size

383k

vs 989k in Honolulu

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

191

pleasant days a year, in spartanburg.

Honolulu actually gets more: 316 pleasant days a year.

But the calendar thins out: Honolulu stays 6.3× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

68/100

24% higher than Honolulu

vs 55/100 in Honolulu

Closest outdoor draw: Croft State Park, 5 mi.

·walk score®

77/100

22% lower than Honolulu

vs 99/100 in Honolulu

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

61% fewer than Honolulu

vs 51 nonstops in Honolulu

04 · see also

neighbors of spartanburg on the map of tradeoffs:

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