City comparison
College Station, 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 5.1% higher than in College Station, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in College Station, TX would need about $105,100 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 $1,082 in College Station, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 16% in College Station, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in College Station, 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 College Station, TX to Grand Rapids, MI changes real buying power by −4.8%, purely from prices.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (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
| College Station, TX | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,052 in Grand Rapids | $95,191 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/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 | 16% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $47,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
54 Fair offer
Grand Rapids, MI → College Station, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
85 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 College Station, TX to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, College Station → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,870 | $61,900 | $58,923 (+1.8%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $107,520 | $102,349 (+0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $76,270 | $72,602 (+1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $83,920 | $79,884 (−3.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.