City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Richmond, VA are 2.4% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $102,400 in Richmond, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $937 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Grand Rapids, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.5% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Richmond, VA ($106,437 → $111,183), while prices change by +2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.0% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,420 in Richmond | $97,637 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Richmond, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$937/yr.
61 Fair offer
Richmond, VA → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$937/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Richmond, VA | Real change, Grand Rapids → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,475 | +2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,009 | +2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,499 | +2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,183 | +2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,385 | +2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $61,290 | $59,842 (−3.3%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $132,120 | $128,999 (+20.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $84,220 | $82,230 (+7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $93,580 | $91,369 (+8.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.