$100k a year, no longer in Huntsville
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 Huntsville
Almost a wash on cost. The case for Grand Rapids is about what you'd do there, not what you'd save.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
18% more expensive than Huntsville(vs $1,374/mo)
4.25%
$62/mo less in state tax than Huntsville
vs 5% in Huntsville
$6,359/mo
$184 less than Huntsville
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
12% more expensive than Huntsville
vs $316k in Huntsville
1.2M
vs 527k in Huntsville
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Huntsville edges ahead with 177 pleasant days. Cold is the cost: 50 days drop below 20° vs Huntsville's 6.
2.2× the events of Huntsville, and the calendar shows it.
56/100
3% lower than Huntsville
vs 58/100 in Huntsville
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
39% higher than Huntsville
vs 70/100 in Huntsville
20
122% more than Huntsville
vs 9 nonstops in Huntsville
if grand rapids appeals, also worth a look:
