City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Milwaukee, WI are 1.5% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $101,500 in Milwaukee, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $3,919 in WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Milwaukee, WI ($106,437 → $111,310), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.1% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,456 in Milwaukee | $98,565 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,119/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Milwaukee, WI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$80/yr.
64 Fair offer
Milwaukee, WI → Grand Rapids, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$80/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Grand Rapids → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,548 | +3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,098 | +3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,606 | +3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,310 | +3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,535 | +3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $61,480 | $60,598 (−2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $123,730 | $121,955 (+13.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $80,290 | $79,138 (+3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $97,360 | $95,963 (+14.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.