City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Grand Rapids, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Grand Rapids, MI are 4.3% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $104,300 in Grand Rapids, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $736 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Grand Rapids, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Birmingham, AL to Grand Rapids, MI ($107,510 → $106,437), while prices change by +4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Birmingham, AL | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,258 in Grand Rapids | $95,916 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,278/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $47,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$736/yr.
56 Fair offer
Grand Rapids, MI → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$736/yr.
82 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Grand Rapids, MI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, Birmingham → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $61,722 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $74,678 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $89,508 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $106,437 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $125,776 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $115,520 | $95,660 | $91,753 (−20.6%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $107,520 | $103,129 (−17.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $76,270 | $73,155 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $83,920 | $80,493 (+2.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.