same $100k income, fresh start from Detroit
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
pricier each month than Detroit
Barely costlier than Detroit. If Grand Rapids pulls you in, it's the life it offers, not the price tag.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
10% more expensive than Detroit(vs $1,472/mo)
4.25%
vs 4.25% in Detroit
$6,359/mo
$148 less than Detroit
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
35% more expensive than Detroit
vs $262k in Detroit
1.2M
vs 4.3M in Detroit
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Detroit gets 160 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine.
About as much going on as in Detroit.
56/100
19% higher than Detroit
vs 47/100 in Detroit
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
2% lower than Detroit
vs 99/100 in Detroit
20
85% fewer than Detroit
vs 135 nonstops in Detroit
cities that play in grand rapids's register:
