$100k salary, packing up from Riverside

change
Spartanburg, SC cityscape

instead of riverside

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

$1,293

below Riverside's monthly cost

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

42% cheaper than Riverside(vs $2,493/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$233/mo less in state tax than Riverside

vs 9.3% in Riverside

03after rent

$6,358/mo

$1,293 more than Riverside

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

04a house here

$277k

53% cheaper than Riverside

vs $595k in Riverside

05metro size

383k

vs 4.7M in Riverside

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

191

pleasant days a year, in spartanburg.

Riverside actually gets more: 249 pleasant days a year.

2.5× the events of Riverside, and the calendar shows it.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

68/100

1% lower than Riverside

vs 69/100 in Riverside

Closest outdoor draw: Croft State Park, 5 mi.

·walk score®

77/100

16% lower than Riverside

vs 92/100 in Riverside

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

43% more than Riverside

vs 14 nonstops in Riverside

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