$100k a year, no longer in New York
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 New York
Grand Rapids is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
51% cheaper than New York(vs $3,329/mo)
4.25%
$540/mo less in state tax than New York
vs 10.73% in New York
$6,359/mo
$2,249 more than New York
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
52% cheaper than New York
vs $739k in New York
1.2M
vs 19.5M in New York
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
New York edges ahead with 171 pleasant days. Winter has bite, though: 50 days drop below 20° vs New York's 19.
98% fewer events than New York. The pace eases up.
56/100
28% lower than New York
vs 78/100 in New York
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
3% lower than New York
vs 100/100 in New York
20
91% fewer than New York
vs 215 nonstops in New York
cities that play in grand rapids's register:
