City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Grand Rapids, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 8.4% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $108,400 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $806 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Grand Rapids, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Chicago, IL to Grand Rapids, MI ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.0% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Chicago, IL | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,230 in Grand Rapids | $108,424 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,278/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $47,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$806/yr.
95 Strong offer
Grand Rapids, MI → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$806/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Grand Rapids, MI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, Chicago → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | −3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | −3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | −3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | −3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | −3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $61,900 | $67,115 (−14.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $107,520 | $116,578 (−13.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $76,270 | $82,695 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $83,920 | $90,990 (−9.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.