City comparison
Akron, OH vs Grand Rapids, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Grand Rapids, MI are 2.3% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $102,300 in Grand Rapids, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,032 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Akron, OH to Grand Rapids, MI ($111,138 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.4% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,331 in Grand Rapids | $97,723 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,278/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $47,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,032/yr.
62 Fair offer
Grand Rapids, MI → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,032/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Grand Rapids, MI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, Akron → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $61,722 | −6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $74,678 | −6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,508 | −6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,437 | −6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $125,776 | −6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $61,900 | $60,490 (−23.0%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $107,520 | $105,071 (−0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $76,270 | $74,533 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $83,920 | $82,009 (+1.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.