City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 1.4% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $101,400 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI versus $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,708 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by +1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.5% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,413 in Tucson | $98,607 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,081/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Tucson, AZ
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,708/yr.
64 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → Grand Rapids, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,708/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Grand Rapids → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | +0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | +0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | +0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | +0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | +0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $47,220 | $46,562 (−24.8%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $123,710 | $121,986 (+13.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $76,320 | $75,257 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $94,110 | $92,799 (+10.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.