City comparison
Cincinnati, OH vs Grand Rapids, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Cincinnati, OH (95.4) and Grand Rapids, MI (95.5, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH goes as far as $100,200 in Grand Rapids, MI.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI versus $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,032 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Grand Rapids, MI ($110,865 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.2% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (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
| Cincinnati, OH | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,185 in Grand Rapids | $99,816 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/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 | 16% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $47,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Grand Rapids, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,032/yr.
68 Fair offer
Grand Rapids, MI → Cincinnati, OH
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,032/yr.
69 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Grand Rapids, MI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, Cincinnati → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $61,722 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $74,678 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $89,508 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $106,437 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $125,776 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $114,300 | $95,660 | $95,484 (−16.5%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $107,520 | $107,322 (−11.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $76,270 | $76,130 (−5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $83,920 | $83,765 (+0.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.