with $100k coming in, swapping out of Austin
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
more expensive each month than Austin
Almost a wash on cost. The case for Tucson is about what you'd do there, not what you'd save.
a quick ledger.
$1,444/mo
9% cheaper than Austin(vs $1,583/mo)
2.5%
$208/mo more in state tax than Austin
vs 0% in Austin
$6,681/mo
$69 less than Austin
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$352k
19% cheaper than Austin
vs $433k in Austin
1.1M
vs 2.5M in Austin
field notes, weather & such.
202
pleasant days a year, in tucson.
Austin barely cracks 170 pleasant ones. Summer asks for something in return: 94 days top 95° here, 53 in Austin.
But the calendar thins out: Austin stays 3.6× busier.
66/100
18% higher than Austin
vs 56/100 in Austin
Closest outdoor draw: Saguaro National Park, 16.6 mi.
67/100
32% lower than Austin
vs 99/100 in Austin
16
62% fewer than Austin
vs 42 nonstops in Austin
cities that play in tucson's register:
compare tucson with:
