City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Grand Rapids, MI are 4.0% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $104,000 in Grand Rapids, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI versus $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $329 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Omaha, NE ($106,437 → $107,501), while prices change by −3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.0% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,196 in Omaha | $103,955 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$329/yr.
81 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$329/yr.
57 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Omaha, NE | Real change, Grand Rapids → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,339 | +5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,425 | +5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,402 | +5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,501 | +5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,033 | +5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $95,660 | $95,700 | $99,485 (+4.0%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $125,220 | $130,172 (+21.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $77,030 | $80,076 (+5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $84,600 | $87,946 (+4.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.