same $100k income, fresh start from Durham
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 Durham
Money-wise it's a wash. The case for Grand Rapids is everything that isn't rent.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
4% cheaper than Durham(vs $1,684/mo)
4.25%
$21/mo less in state tax than Durham
vs 4.5% in Durham
$6,359/mo
$85 more than Durham
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
15% cheaper than Durham
vs $415k in Durham
1.2M
vs 609k in Durham
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Durham has the edge here, logging 178 pleasant days a year. Bring a real coat. 50 days stay under 20°, well past Durham's 5.
2.0× the events of Durham, and the calendar shows it.
56/100
12% higher than Durham
vs 50/100 in Durham
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
21% higher than Durham
vs 80/100 in Durham
20
49% fewer than Durham
vs 39 nonstops in Durham
neighbors of grand rapids on the map of tradeoffs:
