01 · the cities
Salinas
Salinas is the Salad Bowl of the World, where most of the country's leafy greens, strawberries, and broccoli come from. John Steinbeck grew up here and the National Steinbeck Center downtown is excellent. The Salinas Rodeo is a century-old summer event. The Monterey Bay is 20 minutes west, but the city itself is a working ag town with strong Mexican-American culture.
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
$2,813/mo
$1,620/mo
$1,193/mo less than Salinas (74%)
Median home price
Median home price
$862k
$353k
$509k less than Salinas
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,745/mo
$6,359/mo
Grand Rapids has $1,614/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
335 days
151 days
184 fewer than Salinas
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 Salinas.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
71 / 100
56 / 100
15.0 pts behind Salinas
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
6 routes
20 routes
14 more direct routes than Salinas
Metro size
Metro size
431k metro
1.2M metro
the verdict
3
Salinas
categories won
5
Grand Rapids
categories won
Grand Rapids wins on money. Salinas has the edge on weather.
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