with $100k coming in, swapping out of Montgomery
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 premium over Montgomery
A small premium for Grand Rapids. Worth it only if the rest of the city earns it back.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
18% more expensive than Montgomery(vs $1,376/mo)
4.25%
$62/mo less in state tax than Montgomery
vs 5% in Montgomery
$6,359/mo
$182 less than Montgomery
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
67% more expensive than Montgomery
vs $212k in Montgomery
1.2M
vs 385k in Montgomery
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Montgomery actually gets more: 181 pleasant days a year. The trade is winter: 50 days below 20°, vs 1 in Montgomery.
A month here packs 2.2× the events of Montgomery.
56/100
27% higher than Montgomery
vs 44/100 in Montgomery
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
59% higher than Montgomery
vs 61/100 in Montgomery
20
567% more than Montgomery
vs 3 nonstops in Montgomery
cities that play in grand rapids's register:
