01 · the cities
Hagerstown
Hagerstown is the Hub City of western Maryland, where rail lines and highways converge in the Cumberland Valley. The downtown has a small but charming historic core. Antietam Battlefield is 30 minutes south, with some of the most affecting Civil War landscape in the country. The Appalachian Trail crosses just to the west. Quiet, with serious history nearby.
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
$1,587/mo
$1,620/mo
Median home price
Median home price
$321k
$353k
$32k more than Hagerstown
State income tax
State income tax
8.2%
4.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,063/mo
$6,359/mo
Grand Rapids has $296/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 Hagerstown
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
6 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
24 days
50 days
days below 20°F per year
Hagerstown has 6 more days above 95°F each year than Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids drops below 20°F on 26 more days per year than Hagerstown.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
56 / 100
56 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
20 routes
18 more direct routes than Hagerstown
Metro size
Metro size
305k metro
1.2M metro
Hagerstown has 3.8x fewer events per month than Grand Rapids.
the verdict
3
Hagerstown
categories won
4
Grand Rapids
categories won
Grand Rapids wins on money and lifestyle. Hagerstown has the edge on weather.
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