City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Grand Rapids, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 7.9% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $107,900 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.0% moving from Dallas, TX to Grand Rapids, MI ($115,711 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.8% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (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
| Dallas, TX | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,682 in Grand Rapids | $107,896 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/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 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $47,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
93 Strong offer
Grand Rapids, MI → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Grand Rapids, MI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, Dallas → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $61,722 | −0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $74,678 | −0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $89,508 | −0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $106,437 | −0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $125,776 | −0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $61,900 | $66,787 (+2.6%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $107,520 | $116,009 (−13.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $76,270 | $82,292 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $83,920 | $90,546 (−10.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.