with $100k coming in, swapping out of Indianapolis
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
more expensive each month than Indianapolis
You'd pay for Grand Rapids. The question is whether the days are worth the difference.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
7% more expensive than Indianapolis(vs $1,511/mo)
4.25%
$104/mo more in state tax than Indianapolis
vs 3% in Indianapolis
$6,359/mo
$213 less than Indianapolis
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
19% more expensive than Indianapolis
vs $296k in Indianapolis
1.2M
vs 2.1M in Indianapolis
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Indianapolis has the edge here, logging 174 pleasant days a year. Winter shows up, though: 50 days below 20° vs Indianapolis's 30.
Comparable to Indianapolis for events and concerts.
56/100
10% lower than Indianapolis
vs 62/100 in Indianapolis
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
2% lower than Indianapolis
vs 99/100 in Indianapolis
20
43% fewer than Indianapolis
vs 35 nonstops in Indianapolis
same energy as grand rapids, different zip code:
