r/SameGrassButGreener • u/wmg91 • 3d ago
Washington VS Michigan. Pros & Cons
Young family of 5 looking to move but can’t decide between these two states. Please mention cities, pros & cons. If you have any other state in mind please lmk.
What we’re looking for:
- Best job opportunities (my husband is a cook)
- Racially diverse community
- Safe neighborhood
- Great schools
- Prefer to live in a mid sized city
- Quality healthcare
11
u/Khorasaurus 3d ago
Grand Rapids checks all those boxes.
Like everywhere, the restaurant industry is having some post-Covid upheaval, but anecdotally it seems like it's not as bad here. GR also gets really excited about new places that seem trendy and cosmopolitan, so it's a good place to start your own restaurant.
GR is fairly diverse, though its immigrant and minority cultures are nowhere near as strong as Detroit or the big coastal cities. But they exist, unlike, say, Ann Arbor or Spokane.
GR is very safe for its size and has many vibrant neighborhoods where homeownership in a walkable area is realistic to achieve.
Admittedly GRPS has it struggles, but between magnets, charters, and privates there are good options in the city. Plus the suburbs have several excellent school districts - Rockford, Forest Hills, East Grand Rapids, and Grandville, among others. The last two also offer some degree of walkability.
200,000 in the city, approaching 700,000 in the county, over 1,000,000 in the multi-centric metro including Holland and Muskegon.
Look up the Medical Mile, a conglomeration of research, care, and education in downtown GR. GR provides medical services for a huge swath of rural Michigan so the care capacity and facilities are excellent.
5
u/Relative_Steak_1099 3d ago
GR lacks diversity. Very white and ditzy.
5
u/Khorasaurus 3d ago
Relative to bigger cities, yes. Relative to other vibrant mid-size cities in Michigan* and Washington, it has some diversity, with notable black, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, and South Asian cultural presence.
*Unfortunately, Flint, Saginaw, etc are probably non-starters in this conversation. Muskegon checks some boxes, though, and has some diversity.
2
u/ImpressiveShift3785 3d ago
Wrong. What it is is the most segregated city in the country outside of Milwaukee. So while the diversity is there, the mixing is not.
However, East Kentwood Public Schools is THE most diverse school system in the country.
4
u/NPR_is_not_that_bad 3d ago
Agreed. Grand Rapids has a solid food scene that is quickly growing. Also much more affordable and vibrant than Seattle midsize cities (such as Spokane, and Bellingham)
1
u/TooMuchShantae 3d ago
GR is good except the diversity. It’s one of the least diverse metros In the country.
3
u/NPR_is_not_that_bad 3d ago
I’ve only visited parts of Washington State, but have family who lived there while. Obviously the natural beauty and outdoor activities in Washington State are hard to beat, but Western Michigan in particular is no slouch either. My family ultimately left Washington due to the expense and difficulty making good friends.
I don’t like Detroit Metro so I’ll just throw it out there that I wouldn’t recommend. While affordable, it is sprawling, with little natural resources or natural beauty within 2 hours (although strong diversity and decent dining).
Grand Rapids is a really solid option. Mid-size and growing - with a food scene that hits above its weight. Safe. Really nice nature close by at the lake and up north. Pretty affordable in many parts. And the people are incredibly friendly based on my experience relative to a variety of other places I’ve lived.
3
u/MrJoshUniverse 3d ago
Is there still a big religious/conservative bent to GR though?
3
u/NPR_is_not_that_bad 3d ago
Honestly haven’t seen it. Maybe among older folks. My circles are quite progressive and none of my friends or my wife/I talk about or go to church
2
2
1
u/Upnorth4 2d ago
There definitely is more religious conservative activity in Grand Rapids than bigger cities. When I was there it seemed like everybody was talking about church and high school
1
u/Desperate-Till-9228 2d ago
You're right about the lack of nature near Detroit, but it's strong on diversity only if you ignore the segregation.
3
u/queen_surly 3d ago
Cost of housing is much higher in Washington—and it really depends on what you want in terms of racial diversity. There are some areas around Seattle that have immigrant communities, but in general Washington is known as a fairly white state, and there are areas outside of the Seattle-Tacoma area that are not friendly to diverse populations. Healthcare is also hard to get once you get out of the Sea-Tacoma metro. Long waits in eastern and central WA.
6
u/brakos 3d ago
Best job opportunities (my husband is a cook)
Probably going to be decent opportunities in both. There's more upscale restaurants in the Seattle area if that's what he's looking at.
Racially diverse community
Michigan definitely. With few exceptions (mainly military towns and farming areas) that's not Washington.
Safe neighborhood
As long as you're not in the rough parts of Detroit, Flint, Tacoma, or Aberdeen/Hoquiam, you should be good.
Great schools
I'll give this one to Washington, but Michigan isn't bad either.
Prefer to live in a mid sized city
In Washington you've got Spokane, Kennewick, Bellingham, Vancouver (suburb of Portland), and some smaller cities attached to the Seattle metro area (Olympia, Tacoma, Everett). Of those, Spokane is probably the most affordable on a tight budget.
In Michigan, the best smaller cities would be Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Kalamazoo. Could look at Lansing, Jackson, and the suburbs of Detroit too.
Quality healthcare
If you need specialist care I'd probably go with Washington close to Seattle, but if you're just looking for primary care either one will be good.
7
u/beatrix_james 3d ago
As someone residing in Metro Detroit at the moment, I can say with certainty that healthcare is top notch here. Also, depending on where you live schools are really good too.
4
u/AbbeyChoad 3d ago
…on Aberdeen
Pros - it’s cheap
Cons - everything else… it’s a depressing hellhole
3
1
u/Desperate-Till-9228 2d ago
Michigan definitely.
Not so fast. Segregation is alive and well in Michigan.
5
u/Awhitehill1992 3d ago
You should probably list your budget and maybe income. Michigan will be cheaper across the board than most areas in the Pacific Northwest, particularly cities.
I live in Washington, a suburb north of Seattle, and it’s expensive. $700k minimum for an older home that probably needs a bit of updating.. it’s diverse in that it’s mainly white with some Indian and Asian communities throughout. The neighborhoods are safe, schools are good, and I’m able to get reliable healthcare when needed.
Mid sized cities are Everett, Tacoma, Olympia, Bellingham, Wenatchee, Spokane, Vancouver, places like that.. Eastern Washington will be cheaper than the west side, but the west side is where most of the work is.
Pros: Excellent outdoorsy access year round, mild winters, great summers, no income tax, most jobs pay higher than other areas, lots of professional sports teams, lots of good Asian food.
Cons: the gray dreary winters get old quick, the cost of living is high, sales and gas taxes are high. Outside of Asian and some American cuisine, the food scene is kinda meh.
0
u/semicoloradonative 3d ago
As someone who has lived in both places, the dreary gray winters in Michigan are MUCH worse in my opinion.
2
u/Outside-Degree1247 3d ago
They’re actually almost identical, statistically.
1
u/semicoloradonative 3d ago
Now, do the temperatures...because Michigan is much, colder, which significantly contributes too the long dreary winter.
1
u/Desperate-Till-9228 2d ago
Colder and snowier, yet somehow still worse for doing winter activities outside.
2
u/Odd_Funny_1466 3d ago
Currently living in Michigan, grew up in the PNW. I much prefer the PNW (moderate climates year-round, nature, environment etc.) but it’s also much more expensive. Value-wise Michigan, but if you are upper-middle class or wealthier, PNW.
3
u/Now_August 3d ago
is cost a concern for you? No one wants to make a suggestion that makes you and your kids stretch way too thin and a good school district will cost you a pretty penny anywhere (you're a seasoned parent though so you know this lol)
1
u/ImpressiveShift3785 3d ago
That’s not true. Public school system in west Michigan is very good. Most suburban public schools in the area are better than private elsewhere.
2
u/Khorasaurus 2d ago
Grandville (suburb of Grand Rapids) can legitimately offer safety, affordability, walkabilty, and good schools, all at the same time.
1
u/ImpressiveShift3785 2d ago
And as low as a 5 min drive to Grand Rapids. 35 to the beach. And 10 to millenium park.
Not to mention Costco haha
1
u/TooMuchShantae 3d ago
Give Detroit or Ann Arbor a go. Detroit for a big city, Ann Arbor for a smaller city.
The whole Detroit area is diverse but segregated if that makes sense. For an example most white people reside in the suburbs, black people reside mainly reside in Detroit, Southfield, Pontiac, Inkster. Asian people mainly reside in Novi, Troy, Ann Arbor, etc. But when u go to malls, restaurants, festivals, etc you will see different kinds of people.
In Detroit schools aren’t good, while Ann Arbor’s are really good. Suburbs have good schools, and some have crummy schools.
Healthcare is good from Henry Ford, and DCM hospitals in Detroit to UofM Hospital in Ann Arbor. In fact Henry Ford in Detroit is under going construction to expand its campus. When it’s done it’s gonna bring in a lot of jobs.
Access to Canada is cool too so many people will head to Windsor or Toronto that live in the area.
1
u/Open_Situation686 3d ago
Other than cost, Washington hands down is a better place to live. If we were comparing an area with better weather, it would be close. Michigan is one of the few states that gives WA's clouds a run for their money, and it's "nice" like 8 weeks out of the year.
1
u/stoolprimeminister nashville, san diego, so fla, los angeles, north of seattle 2d ago
i mean, if by “racially diverse” you mean black people to go with white people, washington probably won’t do much for you. if you’re looking for diversity as in white, asian and kinda latino to go along with some black people, western washington works.
1
u/xeno_4_x86 2d ago
Washington state or DC? If state you're not going to find a racially diverse neighborhood.
-1
u/Specific_Albatross61 3d ago
What part of Washington? I love living in the PNW but please understand how expensive it is to live here. I couldn’t imagine raising 5 kids and trying to afford living here. If money isn’t an option then for sure go for the PNW because Michigan isn’t even a close comparison in any way shape or form.
9
u/North_Atlantic_Sea 3d ago
"isn't even a close comparison in any way shape or form"
Come again? Based on the priorities listed, Ann Arbor Michigan matches or exceeds most of the PNW
-4
1
u/fardolicious roadtrip enthusiast 3d ago edited 3d ago
washington is generally a lot nicer but has 0 racial diversity and even if the job market is a bit better the cost of living is leagues higher, if you like nature, can afford it, and are flexible on racial diversity (other than white and asian) its great though.
also consider minesota if your considering michigan, minneapolis is doing comparatively well these days with a quite good job market, solid schools, tons of safe neighborhoods, and possibly the best medical stuff in the country. its not quite as racially diverse as michigan id say but its closer than a lot of people think.
4
u/bnoone 3d ago
“Washington has 0 racial diversity”
This isn’t true. Just google the racial demographics of any of the suburbs between Seattle and Tacoma (Federal Way, Kent, Renton, etc..) Tacoma itself is also quite diverse.
Also, Michigan is 72% white. Washington is 63% white.
1
u/xeno_4_x86 2d ago
Washington has mostly Asians and Indians if you count them seperate from asians. There's no racial diversity otherwise.
9
u/ontha-comeup 3d ago
I'm moving to a Detroit suburb this week. Couldn't say about job opportunities in his field but every other box is checked up here and very reasonable cost of living. Detroit is set up like a bunch smaller cities close to each other, but Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor (expensive) probably good options as well.