same $100k income, fresh start from Buffalo
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 Buffalo
A small premium for Grand Rapids. Worth it only if the rest of the city earns it back.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
18% more expensive than Buffalo(vs $1,374/mo)
4.25%
$133/mo less in state tax than Buffalo
vs 5.85% in Buffalo
$6,359/mo
$113 less than Buffalo
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
26% more expensive than Buffalo
vs $280k in Buffalo
1.2M
vs 1.2M in Buffalo
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Buffalo actually gets more: 152 pleasant days a year.
Comparable to Buffalo for events and concerts.
56/100
15% lower than Buffalo
vs 66/100 in Buffalo
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
7% higher than Buffalo
vs 91/100 in Buffalo
20
0% fewer than Buffalo
vs 20 nonstops in Buffalo
in the same ballpark as grand rapids:
