$100k a year, no longer in Colorado Springs
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 Colorado Springs
Money-wise it's a wash. The case for Grand Rapids is everything that isn't rent.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
7% cheaper than Colorado Springs(vs $1,733/mo)
4.25%
$12/mo less in state tax than Colorado Springs
vs 4.4% in Colorado Springs
$6,359/mo
$125 more than Colorado Springs
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
24% cheaper than Colorado Springs
vs $463k in Colorado Springs
1.2M
vs 769k in Colorado Springs
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Colorado Springs has the edge here, logging 184 pleasant days a year.
Nights and weekends fill up faster. 1.6× more on the calendar than Colorado Springs.
56/100
21% lower than Colorado Springs
vs 71/100 in Colorado Springs
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
21% higher than Colorado Springs
vs 80/100 in Colorado Springs
20
82% more than Colorado Springs
vs 11 nonstops in Colorado Springs
neighbors of grand rapids on the map of tradeoffs:
