01 · the cities
Miami
Miami is Spanish before it's English, salsa before it's small talk, and a cortadito before it's a coffee. South Beach Art Deco glows pink at night, Wynwood is a city-sized mural, and the Cuban sandwiches in Little Havana could end fights. Summer is bath-warm ocean and ceiling fans turned up high, and October feels like everywhere else's perfect August. Bring linen.
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
$2,665/mo
$1,620/mo
$1,045/mo less than Miami (65%)
Median home price
Median home price
$565k
$353k
$212k less than Miami
State income tax
State income tax
0%
4.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,668/mo
$6,359/mo
Grand Rapids has $691/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
272 days
151 days
121 fewer than Miami
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 Miami.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
77 / 100
56 / 100
21.0 pts behind Miami
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
167 routes
20 routes
147 fewer direct routes than Miami
Metro size
Metro size
6.2M metro
1.2M metro
Miami has 14.3x more events per month than Grand Rapids.
the verdict
5
Miami
categories won
3
Grand Rapids
categories won
Miami wins on weather and lifestyle. Grand Rapids has the edge on money.
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