$100k a year, no longer in Wilmington
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
under Wilmington, every month
A near-tie on cost. What separates Grand Rapids is the life around the numbers.
a quick ledger.
$1,620/mo
3% cheaper than Wilmington(vs $1,675/mo)
4.25%
$21/mo less in state tax than Wilmington
vs 4.5% in Wilmington
$6,359/mo
$76 more than Wilmington
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$353k
21% cheaper than Wilmington
vs $448k in Wilmington
1.2M
vs 467k in Wilmington
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in grand rapids.
Wilmington edges ahead with 235 pleasant days. Winter asks for something in return: 50 days under 20° here, 1 in Wilmington.
A month here packs 3.5× the events of Wilmington.
56/100
4% higher than Wilmington
vs 54/100 in Wilmington
Closest outdoor draw: White Pine Trail State Park, 5.4 mi.
97/100
45% higher than Wilmington
vs 67/100 in Wilmington
20
300% more than Wilmington
vs 5 nonstops in Wilmington
neighbors of grand rapids on the map of tradeoffs:
