City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Hagerstown, MD
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 1.5% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $101,500 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $387 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Grand Rapids, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.4% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Hagerstown, MD ($106,437 → $121,785), while prices change by −1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +16.1% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Hagerstown, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 94.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,561 in Hagerstown | $101,460 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $961/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 75.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 95.7 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 94.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Hagerstown, MD
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$387/yr.
73 Strong offer
Hagerstown, MD → Grand Rapids, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$387/yr.
64 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Hagerstown, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Hagerstown, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Hagerstown, MD | Real change, Grand Rapids → Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $70,623 | +16.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $85,447 | +16.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $102,415 | +16.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $121,785 | +16.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $143,913 | +16.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Hagerstown, MD | Hagerstown pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $95,660 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $122,830 | $124,623 (+15.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $75,250 | $76,349 (+0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $92,770 | $94,125 (+12.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.