same $100k income, fresh start from St. Louis
changea dispatch from
worcester
MA
42.26°N
71.80°W
Worcester (pronounced 'WOO-stuh', please) is triple-deckers, classic American diners (the city helped invent the diner), and a college-heavy student population (Clark, Holy Cross, WPI, and a dozen more). The smiley face was invented here in 1963. It's central Massachusetts' working-class anchor and quietly gaining a real food scene. Cheaper than Boston, an hour away when you need it.
in our guides
the verdict
more expensive each month than St. Louis
You'd pay for Worcester. The question is whether the days are worth the difference.
a quick ledger.
$2,140/mo
52% more expensive than St. Louis(vs $1,411/mo)
5%
$25/mo more in state tax than St. Louis
vs 4.7% in St. Louis
$5,777/mo
$754 less than St. Louis
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$486k
76% more expensive than St. Louis
vs $277k in St. Louis
867k
vs 2.8M in St. Louis
field notes, weather & such.
148
pleasant days a year, in worcester.
St. Louis actually gets more: 174 pleasant days a year. Winter shows up, though: 55 days below 20° vs St. Louis's 22.
But the calendar thins out: St. Louis stays 2.7× busier.
59/100
13% lower than St. Louis
vs 68/100 in St. Louis
Closest outdoor draw: Wachusett Mountain State Reservation, 14.9 mi.
90/100
3% higher than St. Louis
vs 87/100 in St. Louis
2
97% fewer than St. Louis
vs 60 nonstops in St. Louis
neighbors of worcester on the map of tradeoffs:
compare worcester with:
