City comparison
Cleveland, OH 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 1.7% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $101,700 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 $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,032 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Cleveland, OH to Grand Rapids, MI ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.9% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (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
| Cleveland, OH | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,728 in Grand Rapids | $98,301 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/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 | $50,140 | $47,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Grand Rapids, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,032/yr.
63 Fair offer
Grand Rapids, MI → Cleveland, OH
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,032/yr.
74 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Cleveland, 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 Cleveland, OH to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, Cleveland → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $105,890 | $95,660 | $94,035 (−11.2%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $107,520 | $105,694 (−5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $76,270 | $74,974 (−6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $83,920 | $82,494 (−1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.