City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 3.2% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $103,200 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI and $1,323 in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.3% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Houston, TX ($106,437 → $122,749), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.7% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,227 in Houston | $96,874 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
59 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Houston, TX | Real change, Grand Rapids → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,181 | +11.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $86,123 | +11.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $103,225 | +11.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $122,749 | +11.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $145,052 | +11.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $64,500 | $62,484 (+0.9%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $129,440 | $125,394 (+16.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $85,090 | $82,430 (+8.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $99,830 | $96,709 (+15.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.