City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 17.8% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $117,800 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $860 a year higher in New York, NY than in Grand Rapids, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to New York, NY ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +17.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.0% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (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 | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,810 in New York | $84,882 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.1%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$860/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$860/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | New York, NY | Real change, Grand Rapids → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +0.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +0.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +0.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +0.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +0.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | New York, NY | New York pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $96,900 | $82,251 (+32.9%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $166,830 | $141,609 (+31.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $105,650 | $89,678 (+17.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $119,720 | $101,621 (+21.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.