same $100k income, fresh start from Columbus
changea dispatch from
grand rapids
MI
42.96°N
85.67°W
Grand Rapids has won Beer City USA multiple times, hosts ArtPrize (one of the world's largest open art competitions every fall), and built itself on furniture (Steelcase, Herman Miller). The Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park is a sleeper world-class attraction. Downtown is walkable, the surrounding farmland is gorgeous in autumn, and Lake Michigan beaches are 30 minutes west. Quietly excellent.
the verdict
more expensive each month than Columbus
Almost a wash on cost. The case for Grand Rapids is about what you'd do there, not what you'd save.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
7% more expensive than Columbus(vs $1,511/mo)
4.25%
$22/mo more in state tax than Columbus
vs 3.99% in Columbus
$6,359/mo
$131 less than Columbus
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
1% more expensive than Columbus
vs $350k in Columbus
1.2M
vs 2.2M in Columbus
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Columbus edges ahead with 171 pleasant days. A real winter, not a brutal one: 50 days under 20°, vs 29 in Columbus.
Noticeably quieter than Columbus. About 41% fewer events on a typical month.
56/100
2% lower than Columbus
vs 57/100 in Columbus
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
14% higher than Columbus
vs 85/100 in Columbus
20
37% fewer than Columbus
vs 32 nonstops in Columbus
cities that play in grand rapids's register:
