City comparison
Brownsville, TX 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 11.1% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $111,100 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 $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Brownsville, TX.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Brownsville, TX to Grand Rapids, MI changes real buying power by −10.0%, purely from prices.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much 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
| Brownsville, TX | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,132 in Grand Rapids | $89,983 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,278/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $47,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
38 Weak offer
Grand Rapids, MI → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.1%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, Brownsville → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −10.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −10.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −10.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −10.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −10.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $61,900 | $55,699 (−12.1%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $107,520 | $96,750 (−9.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $76,270 | $68,630 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $83,920 | $75,514 (−6.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.