City comparison
Canton, OH vs Grand Rapids, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Grand Rapids, MI are 6.9% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $106,900 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 $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 13% in Canton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,032 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Canton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Canton, OH to Grand Rapids, MI ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by +6.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.4% in real buying power.
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (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
| Canton, OH | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,868 in Grand Rapids | $93,574 in Canton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $846/mo | $1,278/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,810 | $47,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Canton | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.1 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 96.9 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Canton, OH → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,032/yr.
49 Fair offer
Grand Rapids, MI → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$2,032/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Canton, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Grand Rapids, MI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Canton, OH | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, Canton → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −10.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −10.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −10.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −10.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −10.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Canton, OH | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in Canton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,940 | $61,900 | $57,922 (−25.7%) |
| Software Developers | $105,500 | $107,520 | $100,611 (−4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,170 | $76,270 | $71,369 (−1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,610 | $83,920 | $78,527 (−1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.