$100k salary, packing up from Birmingham
changea dispatch from
springfield
MA
42.10°N
72.59°W
Springfield is where basketball was invented in 1891 (the Basketball Hall of Fame is right here), and where Dr. Seuss grew up (there's a sculpture garden downtown). The city's old industrial buildings are slowly coming back, and the surrounding Pioneer Valley is one of the prettiest stretches in New England. UMass is just up the road. Quieter than Boston, much cheaper.
in our guides
the verdict
the monthly premium over Birmingham
Springfield costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
a quick ledger.
$1,913/mo
36% more expensive than Birmingham(vs $1,407/mo)
5%
vs 5% in Birmingham
$6,004/mo
$506 less than Birmingham
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$373k
43% more expensive than Birmingham
vs $261k in Birmingham
460k
vs 1.2M in Birmingham
field notes, weather & such.
147
pleasant days a year, in springfield.
Birmingham has the edge here, logging 171 pleasant days a year. The trade is winter: 47 days below 20°, vs 4 in Birmingham.
93% fewer events than Birmingham. The pace eases up.
66/100
8% higher than Birmingham
vs 61/100 in Birmingham
Closest outdoor draw: New England National Scenic Trail, 13.7 mi.
87/100
10% higher than Birmingham
vs 79/100 in Birmingham
26
30% more than Birmingham
vs 20 nonstops in Birmingham
neighbors of springfield on the map of tradeoffs:
compare springfield with:
