$100k a year, no longer in Pittsburgh
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
more expensive each month than Pittsburgh
Grand Rapids costs more than Pittsburgh, and you'll feel it. The upside has to come from somewhere other than your budget.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
10% more expensive than Pittsburgh(vs $1,473/mo)
4.25%
$98/mo more in state tax than Pittsburgh
vs 3.07% in Pittsburgh
$6,359/mo
$246 less than Pittsburgh
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
58% more expensive than Pittsburgh
vs $223k in Pittsburgh
1.2M
vs 2.4M in Pittsburgh
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Pittsburgh gets 161 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. Winter has bite, though: 50 days drop below 20° vs Pittsburgh's 28.
On par with Pittsburgh for events and shows.
56/100
19% lower than Pittsburgh
vs 69/100 in Pittsburgh
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
2% lower than Pittsburgh
vs 99/100 in Pittsburgh
20
46% fewer than Pittsburgh
vs 37 nonstops in Pittsburgh
cities that play in grand rapids's register:
