with $100k coming in, swapping out of El Paso
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 El Paso
Grand Rapids runs a little pricier than El Paso. The case has to be about something other than rent.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
10% more expensive than El Paso(vs $1,473/mo)
4.25%
$354/mo more in state tax than El Paso
vs 0% in El Paso
$6,359/mo
$501 less than El Paso
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
53% more expensive than El Paso
vs $231k in El Paso
1.2M
vs 872k in El Paso
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
El Paso edges ahead with 222 pleasant days. Winter asks for something in return: 50 days under 20° here, 1 in El Paso.
Nights and weekends fill up faster. 2.3× more on the calendar than El Paso.
56/100
14% lower than El Paso
vs 65/100 in El Paso
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
4% higher than El Paso
vs 93/100 in El Paso
20
54% more than El Paso
vs 13 nonstops in El Paso
if grand rapids appeals, also worth a look:
