$100k salary, packing up from Syracuse
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 Syracuse's monthly cost
Money-wise it's a wash. The case for Grand Rapids is everything that isn't rent.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
0% more expensive than Syracuse(vs $1,619/mo)
4.25%
$133/mo less in state tax than Syracuse
vs 5.85% in Syracuse
$6,359/mo
$132 more than Syracuse
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
39% more expensive than Syracuse
vs $254k in Syracuse
1.2M
vs 653k in Syracuse
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Syracuse keeps to 142 pleasant days a year.
Things to do run about even with Syracuse.
56/100
5% lower than Syracuse
vs 59/100 in Syracuse
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
7% higher than Syracuse
vs 91/100 in Syracuse
20
25% more than Syracuse
vs 16 nonstops in Syracuse
if grand rapids appeals, also worth a look:
