City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 8.1% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $108,100 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,708 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Phoenix, AZ ($106,437 → $111,338), while prices change by +8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.3% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,132 in Phoenix | $92,479 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,708/yr.
45 Fair offer
Phoenix, AZ → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,708/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Grand Rapids → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,564 | −3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,117 | −3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,629 | −3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,338 | −3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,568 | −3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $59,180 | $54,729 (−11.6%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $131,750 | $121,842 (+13.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $80,820 | $74,742 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $100,830 | $93,247 (+11.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.