City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Madison, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Madison, WI are 1.8% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $101,800 in Madison, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,482 a month in Madison, WI versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Madison, WI and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $3,919 in WI.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Madison, WI changes real buying power by −1.8%, purely from prices.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Madison, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,822 in Madison | $98,210 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,482/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $58,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Madison, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 99.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 89.8 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Madison, WI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$80/yr.
63 Fair offer
Madison, WI → Grand Rapids, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$80/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Madison, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Madison, WI | Real change, Grand Rapids → Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Madison, WI | Madison pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $63,690 | $62,550 (+1.1%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $130,630 | $128,292 (+19.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $81,130 | $79,678 (+4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $101,190 | $99,379 (+18.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.