$100k salary, packing up from Los Angeles
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
less monthly outlay than Los Angeles
Grand Rapids runs on a fraction of Los Angeles's budget. Same paycheck, real lifestyle upgrade.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
44% cheaper than Los Angeles(vs $2,899/mo)
4.25%
$421/mo less in state tax than Los Angeles
vs 9.3% in Los Angeles
$6,359/mo
$1,700 more than Los Angeles
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
66% cheaper than Los Angeles
vs $1029k in Los Angeles
1.2M
vs 12.8M in Los Angeles
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Los Angeles actually gets more: 283 pleasant days a year. The trade is winter: 50 days below 20°, vs 0 in Los Angeles.
Lighter on events: Los Angeles packs 5.0× more into a month.
56/100
16% lower than Los Angeles
vs 67/100 in Los Angeles
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
1% higher than Los Angeles
vs 96/100 in Los Angeles
20
87% fewer than Los Angeles
vs 150 nonstops in Los Angeles
cities that play in grand rapids's register:
