City comparison
Des Moines, IA 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 4.2% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $104,200 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 $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $851 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.8% moving from Des Moines, IA to Grand Rapids, MI ($107,301 → $106,437), while prices change by +4.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.8% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (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
| Des Moines, IA | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,193 in Grand Rapids | $95,976 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,278/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $47,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$851/yr.
56 Fair offer
Grand Rapids, MI → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$851/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Grand Rapids, MI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, Des Moines → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $61,722 | −4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $74,678 | −4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $89,508 | −4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $106,437 | −4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $125,776 | −4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $61,900 | $59,409 (−3.6%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $107,520 | $103,193 (−18.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $76,270 | $73,201 (−7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $83,920 | $80,543 (+2.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.