City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Grand Rapids, MI (95.5) and San Antonio, TX (94.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI goes as far as $99,100 in San Antonio, TX.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by −0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.4% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,131 in San Antonio | $100,876 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
71 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Grand Rapids, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
66 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Grand Rapids → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | +2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | +2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | +2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | +2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | +2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $61,720 | $62,261 (+0.6%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $128,430 | $129,555 (+20.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $78,650 | $79,339 (+4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $94,370 | $95,197 (+13.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.