City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 4.4% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $104,400 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $3,925 in CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Waterbury, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +4.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.8% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,429 in Waterbury | $95,759 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$74/yr.
55 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$74/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Grand Rapids → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +12.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +12.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +12.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +12.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +12.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $79,640 | $76,262 (+23.2%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $131,290 | $125,721 (+16.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $93,010 | $89,065 (+16.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $101,690 | $97,377 (+16.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.