$100k salary, packing up from Baltimore
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 Baltimore
The gap is real. Grand Rapids costs noticeably less than Baltimore, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
13% cheaper than Baltimore(vs $1,868/mo)
4.25%
$329/mo less in state tax than Baltimore
vs 8.2% in Baltimore
$6,359/mo
$577 more than Baltimore
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
14% cheaper than Baltimore
vs $412k in Baltimore
1.2M
vs 2.8M in Baltimore
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Baltimore has the edge here, logging 168 pleasant days a year. Cold snaps are part of the year: 50 days below 20° here, 21 in Baltimore.
On par with Baltimore for events and shows.
56/100
15% lower than Baltimore
vs 66/100 in Baltimore
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
1% lower than Baltimore
vs 98/100 in Baltimore
20
72% fewer than Baltimore
vs 72 nonstops in Baltimore
cities that play in grand rapids's register:
