City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Huntsville, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Grand Rapids, MI are 2.7% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $102,700 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 $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $736 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Grand Rapids, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.1% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Huntsville, AL ($106,437 → $110,847), while prices change by −2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.9% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Huntsville, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,411 in Huntsville | $102,658 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,136/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $51,740 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Huntsville, AL MSA. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Huntsville, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Huntsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 77.9 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 83.9 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$736/yr.
77 Strong offer
Huntsville, AL → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$736/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Huntsville, AL is in Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Huntsville, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Huntsville, AL | Real change, Grand Rapids → Huntsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,279 | +6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,772 | +6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,216 | +6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $110,847 | +6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $130,987 | +6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Huntsville, AL | Huntsville pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $62,250 | $63,905 (+3.2%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $128,080 | $131,485 (+22.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $79,220 | $81,326 (+6.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $77,090 | $79,139 (−5.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.