moving to GR- advice on cost of living (Grand Rapids, Kentwood: transplants, rent)

[smoore]

My husband has been offered a job in GR so we're trying to determine if the salary will be enough. We're coming from overseas so the cost of living index and city comparisons don't really help us. We've been able to find some information online such as rent, but what we need to know if ballpark dollar figures on things such as:

How much does the average family (small children) spend on groceries in say a week or month?

How about utilities?

What about phones and Internet access?

Do most families have 1 or 2 cars? If my husband needs the car to get to work, are there neighborhoods where most things are within walking distance or is public transit readily available (and desirable?)

What can we expect to pay for car insurance? (Coming from overseas we'll have no driving records and we're not Americans so we are expecting it to be on the high side)

I've got loads of other questions, but this is a start.

Thanks for your help.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by smoore

My husband has been offered a job in GR so we're trying to determine if the salary will be enough. We're coming from overseas so the cost of living index and city comparisons don't really help us. We've been able to find some information online such as rent, but what we need to know if ballpark dollar figures on things such as:

How much does the average family (small children) spend on groceries in say a week or month?

How about utilities?

What about phones and Internet access?

Do most families have 1 or 2 cars? If my husband needs the car to get to work, are there neighborhoods where most things are within walking distance or is public transit readily available (and desirable?)

What can we expect to pay for car insurance? (Coming from overseas we'll have no driving records and we're not Americans so we are expecting it to be on the high side)

I've got loads of other questions, but this is a start.

Thanks for your help.

Wow, good questions. Grand Rapids is not quite large enough to have a great transit system. The RAPID bus system does hit a lot of the metro area, and has one numerous awards for its service and reliability, and perhaps if you lived on the East side of downtown or East Grand Rapids you might be OK without a car. But generally speaking, most families have two vehicles.

I can give you some examples of what we spend, family of 5 (3 small children), two cars, newer home less than 5 years old:

Groceries: $100 - $120/week
Utilities: $120 - $150/month Nov. - April, $60 - 80/month from May - Oct.; higher if you rent or buy an older home
Phones/Internet: We dropped land-line long distance and just use cell phones, so $45/month for local phone/high speed DSL, $59/month cell phone for two
Car insurance is pretty wide ranging depending on type of vehicle, but we pay for two newer vehicles, full coverage, perfect driving records: about $140/month

We keep the heat set at 69 F in the winter, and air at 75/76 F in summer to conserve energy and save money, but having a new energy-efficient home certainly makes that much easier. And now you know all our dirty little secrets.

From where are you moving?

[smoore]

Thanks for your post. This information is very helpful.

I've been following some of the other discussions with respect to the conservative nature of this region. If we aren't religious, republican or conservative, are we or our children going to have difficulty fitting in?

As for your question, we're currently living and working in the Middle East, but we're Canadians and want to move back closer to family. We're from the West Coast, so Michigan isn't exactly close (still 3 flights home from GR), but it's a lot closer than the Middle East!

[magellan]

Originally Posted by smoore

Thanks for your post. This information is very helpful.

I've been following some of the other discussions with respect to the conservative nature of this region. If we aren't religious, republican or conservative, are we or our children going to have difficulty fitting in?

As for your question, we're currently living and working in the Middle East, but we're Canadians and want to move back closer to family. We're from the West Coast, so Michigan isn't exactly close (still 3 flights home from GR), but it's a lot closer than the Middle East!

I won't lie and say this is a liberal area, but it seems to be changing quite a bit and becoming more diverse.

- You would have seen many democrat yard signs during the last several elections in the city, and "Make Peace Not War" signs all year round.
- Grand Rapids has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up the Grand River over the last decade or so. Moreso than any other city in Michigan along the Grand.
- The city has established a Sustainability Policy and hired a Sustainability Manager
- Grand Rapids leads the U.S. in number of LEED Certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) construction projects in the country. Yes, in the country. Including the first LEED Certified Art Museum, first LEED certified hospital, first LEED certified YMCA, first LEED certified factory, first LEED Habitat Home, first LEED transit center, and the GR area has more LEED accredited design and construction professionals than the entire rest of Michigan combined.
- The Grand Valley Metro Council, Interurban Transit Partnership, the GR Chamber, and a host of other groups have recently announced plans to take the next step in implementing a light rail/streetcar line downtown and a Bus Rapid Transit line down the South Division Corridor.
- Grand Rapids recently joined the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement

www.rapidgrowthmedia.com/features/sustain16.aspx
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache...s&ct=clnk&cd=4
www.wm-alliance.org/wmsa/assets/LandDevelopmentToday.pdf (broken link)

But there are quite a few religious zealots around. I'd recommend:

A home anywhere between Heritage Hill (just East of downtown) East through East Hills, Easttown, Cherry Hill, Uptown, Cherry/Lake/Diamond, and East Grand Rapids. Or a new home in Kentwood or Forest Hills area, where there are almost entirely new transplants from around the country.

If you were our neighbor, we'd certainly welcome you.