with $100k coming in, swapping out of Grand Rapids

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San Francisco, CA cityscape

swapping out of grand rapids

San Francisco

ca · metro 4.6M

photo: Andrew Whitmore / unsplash

a dispatch from

san francisco

CA

37.77°N

122.42°W

San Francisco is hills, fog, Mission burritos the size of forearms, and pastel Victorians stacked like dominoes. Karl the Fog has his own Instagram, the cable cars are still mechanically pulled by cables running under the street, and the Pacific shows up at the end of every west-bound avenue. The food is wildly good, the views are theatrical, and yes, you'll get cardio just walking to the corner store.

metro4.6M

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$1,947

the monthly premium over Grand Rapids

San Francisco doesn't pretend to be affordable. Move here for what San Francisco is, not for what it leaves on your monthly ledger.
landable, recorded on the san francisco entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$3,146/mo

94% more expensive than Grand Rapids(vs $1,620/mo)

02state income tax

9.3%

$421/mo more in state tax than Grand Rapids

vs 4.25% in Grand Rapids

03after rent

$4,412/mo

$1,947 less than Grand Rapids

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$1239k

251% more expensive than Grand Rapids

vs $353k in Grand Rapids

05metro size

4.6M

vs 1.2M in Grand Rapids

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

312

pleasant days a year, in san francisco.

Grand Rapids barely cracks 151 pleasant ones.

A real upgrade on things to do: 3.7× Grand Rapids's pace.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

83/100

48% higher than Grand Rapids

vs 56/100 in Grand Rapids

Closest outdoor draw: Golden Gate National Recreation Area, 1.5 mi.

·walk score®

99/100

2% higher than Grand Rapids

vs 97/100 in Grand Rapids

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

111

455% more than Grand Rapids

vs 20 nonstops in Grand Rapids

04 · see also

in the same ballpark as san francisco:

see also

san diego

$256/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

honolulu

$162/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

los angeles

$247/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare san francisco with:

San DiegoHonoluluLos Angeles