City comparison
Detroit, MI 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 Detroit, MI are 5.0% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $105,000 in Detroit, 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 $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- Both are in MI, so estimated state income tax is the same: $3,999 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Detroit, MI to Grand Rapids, MI ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.8% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- 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
| Detroit, MI | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,262 in Grand Rapids | $104,974 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,278/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $47,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
84 Strong offer
Grand Rapids, MI → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
54 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Grand Rapids, MI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, Detroit → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $108,990 | $95,660 | $100,418 (−7.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $107,520 | $112,868 (−13.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $76,270 | $80,063 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $83,920 | $88,094 (−9.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.