City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 1.6% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $101,600 in Rochester, NY to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI and $1,256 in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Grand Rapids, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Rochester, NY ($106,437 → $107,182), while prices change by +1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.8% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,558 in Rochester | $98,466 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Rochester, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$860/yr.
64 Fair offer
Rochester, NY → Grand Rapids, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$860/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Rochester, NY | Real change, Grand Rapids → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,155 | −0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,202 | −0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,135 | −0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,182 | −0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,657 | −0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $62,840 | $61,876 (−0.0%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $122,770 | $120,886 (+12.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $80,890 | $79,649 (+4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $86,570 | $85,242 (+1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.