City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Grand Rapids, MI are 8.5% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $108,500 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 $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $736 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Grand Rapids, MI.
- 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 Grand Rapids, MI to Mobile, AL changes real buying power by +8.5%, purely from prices.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,205 in Mobile | $108,454 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$736/yr.
95 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$736/yr.
44 Weak 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 Grand Rapids, MI to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Mobile, AL | Real change, Grand Rapids → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $60,970 | $66,125 (+6.8%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $122,540 | $132,900 (+23.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $72,130 | $78,228 (+2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $79,490 | $86,210 (+2.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.