City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Manchester, NH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 10.6% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $110,600 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,552 a month in Manchester, NH versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Manchester, NH and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Manchester, NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Manchester, NH ($106,437 → $120,548), while prices change by +10.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.4% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Manchester, NH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 105.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,582 in Manchester | $90,430 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,552/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (NH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $56,530 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Manchester-Nashua, NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 134.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.7 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 133.5 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 103.7 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 105.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Manchester, NH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
39 Weak offer
Manchester, NH → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Manchester, NH is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Manchester, NH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Manchester, NH | Real change, Grand Rapids → Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,905 | +2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,579 | +2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $101,375 | +2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,548 | +2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $142,452 | +2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Manchester, NH | Manchester pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $73,380 | $66,358 (+7.2%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $162,090 | $146,579 (+36.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $83,660 | $75,654 (−0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $98,600 | $89,164 (+6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.