same $100k income, fresh start from Columbia
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
cheaper each month than Columbia
On paper, Grand Rapids and Columbia are twins. In practice they live very differently.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
4% more expensive than Columbia(vs $1,551/mo)
4.25%
$187/mo less in state tax than Columbia
vs 6.5% in Columbia
$6,359/mo
$118 more than Columbia
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
38% more expensive than Columbia
vs $255k in Columbia
1.2M
vs 857k in Columbia
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Columbia actually gets more: 189 pleasant days a year. Bring a real coat. 50 days stay under 20°, well past Columbia's 2.
263% more happening than in Columbia.
56/100
2% higher than Columbia
vs 55/100 in Columbia
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
14% higher than Columbia
vs 85/100 in Columbia
20
100% more than Columbia
vs 10 nonstops in Columbia
if grand rapids appeals, also worth a look:
