City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 6.1% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $106,100 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL 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 Orlando, FL.
- 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 Orlando, FL changes real buying power by −5.8%, purely from prices.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,146 in Orlando | $94,210 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
49 Fair offer
Orlando, FL → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
88 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 Grand Rapids, MI to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Orlando, FL | Real change, Grand Rapids → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $60,190 | $56,705 (−8.4%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $129,620 | $122,115 (+13.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $78,630 | $74,077 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $83,550 | $78,713 (−6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.