$100k salary, packing up from Manchester
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 Manchester
Money-wise it's a wash. The case for Grand Rapids is everything that isn't rent.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
23% cheaper than Manchester(vs $2,092/mo)
4.25%
$354/mo more in state tax than Manchester
vs 0% in Manchester
$6,359/mo
$118 more than Manchester
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
36% cheaper than Manchester
vs $548k in Manchester
1.2M
vs 427k in Manchester
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Manchester has the edge here, logging 154 pleasant days a year.
360% more happening than in Manchester.
56/100
10% lower than Manchester
vs 62/100 in Manchester
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
1% lower than Manchester
vs 98/100 in Manchester
20
54% more than Manchester
vs 13 nonstops in Manchester
in the same ballpark as grand rapids:
