City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 18.9% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $118,900 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Grand Rapids, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Los Angeles, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +18.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,860 in Los Angeles | $84,133 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $2,085/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.9%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
24 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Grand Rapids → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $101,860 | $85,697 (+38.4%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $160,920 | $135,386 (+25.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $94,360 | $79,387 (+4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $135,560 | $114,050 (+35.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.