01 · the cities
Honolulu
Honolulu is Waikiki's high-rises pressed against turquoise water, Diamond Head crater glowing pink at dawn, and plate lunches that mix Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Portuguese into one perfect styrofoam container. Surf the south shore in summer, the north in winter. The North Shore is a 45-minute drive into a totally different world. Aloha here is a way of moving through the day.
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
$2,843/mo
$1,620/mo
$1,223/mo less than Honolulu (75%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$353k
$709k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
4.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$6,359/mo
Grand Rapids has $1,785/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
316 days
151 days
165 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
50 days
days below 20°F per year
Grand Rapids drops below 20°F on 50 more days per year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
56 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
20 routes
31 fewer direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
1.2M metro
Honolulu has 1.4x more events per month than Grand Rapids.
the verdict
3
Honolulu
categories won
4
Grand Rapids
categories won
Grand Rapids wins on money. Honolulu has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
run your numbers
How far does your Honolulu salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works