on $100k a year, leaving Knoxville
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 each month than Knoxville ran you
You'd pay for Grand Rapids. The question is whether the days are worth the difference.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
6% cheaper than Knoxville(vs $1,731/mo)
4.25%
$354/mo more in state tax than Knoxville
vs 0% in Knoxville
$6,359/mo
$243 less than Knoxville
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
3% cheaper than Knoxville
vs $364k in Knoxville
1.2M
vs 947k in Knoxville
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Knoxville actually gets more: 189 pleasant days a year. Bring a real coat. 50 days stay under 20°, well past Knoxville's 9.
A month here packs 1.6× the events of Knoxville.
56/100
19% lower than Knoxville
vs 69/100 in Knoxville
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
37% higher than Knoxville
vs 71/100 in Knoxville
20
18% more than Knoxville
vs 17 nonstops in Knoxville
if grand rapids appeals, also worth a look:
