$100k a year, no longer in Ann Arbor
changea dispatch from
tucson
AZ
32.25°N
110.91°W
Tucson is the first U.S. city named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, and the Sonoran hot dogs alone justify the trip. The saguaros stand around like skinny green sentries, the mountains ring the city in every direction, and the sunsets do that thing where the whole sky turns watermelon. The University of Arizona keeps the energy young. The monsoons in July are genuinely thrilling, and the dry desert nights keep the patios full long after dark.
in our guides
the verdict
less monthly outlay than Ann Arbor
Tucson is the easier version of your monthly budget. Lower rent, lighter monthly outlay.
a quick ledger.
$1,444/mo
31% cheaper than Ann Arbor(vs $2,082/mo)
2.5%
$146/mo less in state tax than Ann Arbor
vs 4.25% in Ann Arbor
$6,681/mo
$784 more than Ann Arbor
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$352k
18% cheaper than Ann Arbor
vs $429k in Ann Arbor
1.1M
vs 366k in Ann Arbor
field notes, weather & such.
202
pleasant days a year, in tucson.
Ann Arbor barely cracks 154 pleasant ones. Heat is the cost: 94 days top 95° vs Ann Arbor's 0.
Nights and weekends fill up faster. 2.4× more on the calendar than Ann Arbor.
66/100
18% higher than Ann Arbor
vs 56/100 in Ann Arbor
Closest outdoor draw: Saguaro National Park, 16.6 mi.
67/100
31% lower than Ann Arbor
vs 97/100 in Ann Arbor
16
88% fewer than Ann Arbor
vs 135 nonstops in Ann Arbor
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