with $100k coming in, swapping out of Ann Arbor
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
less monthly outlay than Ann Arbor
The gap is real. Grand Rapids costs noticeably less than Ann Arbor, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
22% cheaper than Ann Arbor(vs $2,082/mo)
4.25%
vs 4.25% in Ann Arbor
$6,359/mo
$462 more than Ann Arbor
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
18% cheaper than Ann Arbor
vs $429k in Ann Arbor
1.2M
vs 366k in Ann Arbor
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Ann Arbor has the edge here, logging 154 pleasant days a year.
393% more happening than in Ann Arbor.
56/100
0% lower than Ann Arbor
vs 56/100 in Ann Arbor
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
0% lower than Ann Arbor
vs 97/100 in Ann Arbor
20
85% fewer than Ann Arbor
vs 135 nonstops in Ann Arbor
in the same ballpark as grand rapids:
