with $100k coming in, swapping out of Olympia
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
below Olympia's monthly cost
A near-tie on cost. What separates Grand Rapids is the life around the numbers.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
19% cheaper than Olympia(vs $1,991/mo)
4.25%
$354/mo more in state tax than Olympia
vs 0% in Olympia
$6,359/mo
$17 more than Olympia
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
34% cheaper than Olympia
vs $533k in Olympia
1.2M
vs 299k in Olympia
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Olympia edges ahead with 182 pleasant days. Winter asks for something in return: 50 days under 20° here, 2 in Olympia.
56/100
30% lower than Olympia
vs 80/100 in Olympia
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
10% higher than Olympia
vs 88/100 in Olympia
20
78% fewer than Olympia
vs 90 nonstops in Olympia
neighbors of grand rapids on the map of tradeoffs:
