City comparison
Austin, TX vs Grand Rapids, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 2.6% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $102,600 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.7% moving from Austin, TX to Grand Rapids, MI ($109,428 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.2% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (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
| Austin, TX | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,430 in Grand Rapids | $102,637 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,278/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $47,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
77 Strong offer
Grand Rapids, MI → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Grand Rapids, MI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, Austin → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $61,722 | −0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $74,678 | −0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $89,508 | −0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $106,437 | −0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $125,776 | −0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $61,900 | $63,533 (+3.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $107,520 | $110,356 (−17.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $76,270 | $78,282 (−5.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $83,920 | $86,133 (−12.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.