01 · the cities
Boston
Boston is brick sidewalks, dive bars older than most states, and an accent that turns 'park the car' into a love language. The city is densely packed with colleges (Harvard, MIT, BU, BC, plus 30 more), which keeps it perpetually 22 years old in spirit. The Freedom Trail literally paints a red line through 400 years of American history. Dunkin' is not a chain here, it's a way of life.
full dispatch→Grand Rapids
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.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,145/mo
$1,620/mo
$1,525/mo less than Boston (94%)
Median home price
Median home price
$771k
$353k
$418k less than Boston
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
4.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,772/mo
$6,359/mo
Grand Rapids has $1,587/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
160 days
151 days
9 fewer than Boston
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
2 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
33 days
50 days
days below 20°F per year
Grand Rapids drops below 20°F on 17 more days per year than Boston.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
56 / 100
15.0 pts behind Boston
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
103 routes
20 routes
83 fewer direct routes than Boston
Metro size
Metro size
4.9M metro
1.2M metro
Boston has 2.4x more events per month than Grand Rapids.
the verdict
4
Boston
categories won
4
Grand Rapids
categories won
Boston wins on weather and lifestyle, Grand Rapids wins on money. Dead even.
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