$100k salary, packing up from Charleston
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 Charleston
The gap is real. Grand Rapids costs noticeably less than Charleston, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
18% cheaper than Charleston(vs $1,987/mo)
4.25%
$187/mo less in state tax than Charleston
vs 6.5% in Charleston
$6,359/mo
$554 more than Charleston
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
18% cheaper than Charleston
vs $432k in Charleston
1.2M
vs 849k in Charleston
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Charleston edges ahead with 212 pleasant days. Winter asks for something in return: 50 days under 20° here, 0 in Charleston.
Nights and weekends fill up faster. 1.7× more on the calendar than Charleston.
56/100
16% lower than Charleston
vs 67/100 in Charleston
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
5% higher than Charleston
vs 92/100 in Charleston
20
0% fewer than Charleston
vs 20 nonstops in Charleston
cities that play in grand rapids's register:
