City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Grand Rapids, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 4.7% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $104,700 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $568 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Grand Rapids, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Grand Rapids, MI ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.0% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,491 in Grand Rapids | $104,722 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,278/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $47,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$568/yr.
84 Strong offer
Grand Rapids, MI → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$568/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Grand Rapids, MI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, Atlanta → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $61,900 | $64,823 (−15.3%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $107,520 | $112,597 (−15.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $76,270 | $79,872 (−6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $83,920 | $87,883 (−12.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.