City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 12.8% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $112,800 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in Grand Rapids, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Santa Rosa, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +12.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.8% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,808 in Santa Rosa | $88,646 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $2,155/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.4%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
23 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Grand Rapids → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $99,060 | $87,813 (+41.9%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $148,630 | $131,754 (+22.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $94,690 | $83,939 (+10.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $174,550 | $154,731 (+84.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.