City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Grand Rapids, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 10.5% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $110,500 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA 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 Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.0% moving from Bremerton, WA to Grand Rapids, MI ($119,630 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.7% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Bremerton, WA | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,473 in Grand Rapids | $110,530 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,278/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $47,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
100 Strong offer
Grand Rapids, MI → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
39 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Grand Rapids, MI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, Bremerton → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $61,722 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $74,678 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,508 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,437 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $125,776 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $61,900 | $68,418 (−33.3%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $107,520 | $118,842 (−18.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $76,270 | $84,301 (−4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $83,920 | $92,757 (−13.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.