$100k salary, packing up from Raleigh

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Spartanburg, SC cityscape

next stop after raleigh

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

$63

below Raleigh's monthly cost

Spartanburg and Raleigh land close on cost. The reasons to move are about how you'd live, not what you'd save.
landable, recorded on the spartanburg entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,434/mo

14% cheaper than Raleigh(vs $1,663/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$167/mo more in state tax than Raleigh

vs 4.5% in Raleigh

03after rent

$6,358/mo

$63 more than Raleigh

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

04a house here

$277k

37% cheaper than Raleigh

vs $440k in Raleigh

05metro size

383k

vs 1.5M in Raleigh

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

191

pleasant days a year, in spartanburg.

Raleigh has the edge here, logging 201 pleasant days a year.

But the calendar thins out: Raleigh stays 3.1× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

68/100

17% higher than Raleigh

vs 58/100 in Raleigh

Closest outdoor draw: Croft State Park, 5 mi.

·walk score®

77/100

21% lower than Raleigh

vs 97/100 in Raleigh

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

49% fewer than Raleigh

vs 39 nonstops in Raleigh

04 · see also

cities that play in spartanburg's register:

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