$100k a year, no longer in Chattanooga
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
the monthly cost of moving past Chattanooga
Grand Rapids runs a little pricier than Chattanooga. The case has to be about something other than rent.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
6% more expensive than Chattanooga(vs $1,524/mo)
4.25%
$354/mo more in state tax than Chattanooga
vs 0% in Chattanooga
$6,359/mo
$450 less than Chattanooga
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
10% more expensive than Chattanooga
vs $322k in Chattanooga
1.2M
vs 580k in Chattanooga
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Chattanooga edges ahead with 167 pleasant days. Cold is the cost: 50 days drop below 20° vs Chattanooga's 5.
Nights and weekends fill up faster. 3.0× more on the calendar than Chattanooga.
56/100
19% lower than Chattanooga
vs 69/100 in Chattanooga
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
18% higher than Chattanooga
vs 82/100 in Chattanooga
20
150% more than Chattanooga
vs 8 nonstops in Chattanooga
cities that play in grand rapids's register:
