City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 5.6% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $105,600 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $465 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- 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 Salt Lake City, UT changes real buying power by −5.3%, purely from prices.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (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 | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,570 in Salt Lake City | $94,724 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$465/yr.
52 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$465/yr.
86 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 Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Grand Rapids → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −5.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −5.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −5.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −5.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −5.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $77,920 | $73,809 (+19.2%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $129,600 | $122,762 (+14.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $82,100 | $77,768 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $85,890 | $81,358 (−3.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.