same $100k income, fresh start from Toledo
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 Toledo
You'd pay for Grand Rapids. The question is whether the days are worth the difference.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
35% more expensive than Toledo(vs $1,197/mo)
4.25%
$22/mo more in state tax than Toledo
vs 3.99% in Toledo
$6,359/mo
$445 less than Toledo
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
80% more expensive than Toledo
vs $196k in Toledo
1.2M
vs 600k in Toledo
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Toledo has the edge here, logging 159 pleasant days a year.
A real upgrade on things to do: 2.8× Toledo's pace.
56/100
2% higher than Toledo
vs 55/100 in Toledo
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
70% higher than Toledo
vs 57/100 in Toledo
20
400% more than Toledo
vs 4 nonstops in Toledo
cities that play in grand rapids's register:
