City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Stockton, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Stockton, CA are 10.0% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $110,000 in Stockton, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,395 a month in Stockton, CA versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Stockton, CA and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Stockton, 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 Stockton, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +10.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.7% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Stockton, CA: price level 105.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Stockton, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 105.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,988 in Stockton | $90,919 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,395/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% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $48,990 |
| 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 Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Stockton-Lodi, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Stockton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 115.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 158.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 105.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Stockton, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
40 Weak offer
Stockton, CA → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Stockton, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Stockton, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Stockton, CA | Real change, Grand Rapids → Stockton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +13.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +13.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +13.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +13.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +13.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Stockton, CA | Stockton pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $95,660 | $101,320 | $92,119 (−3.7%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $138,550 | $125,968 (+17.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $83,570 | $75,981 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $134,580 | $122,359 (+45.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.