City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 8.5% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $108,500 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA 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 Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Olympia, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.6% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,503 in Olympia | $92,164 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
44 Weak offer
Olympia, WA → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Olympia, WA | Real change, Grand Rapids → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | +3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | +3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | +3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | +3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | +3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $104,650 | $96,449 (+55.8%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $124,060 | $114,338 (+6.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $94,470 | $87,067 (+14.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $125,020 | $115,223 (+37.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.