City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 16.3% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $116,300 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA 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 Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Seattle, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +16.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.4% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,314 in Seattle | $85,974 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Grand Rapids, MI to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Seattle, WA | Real change, Grand Rapids → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $102,920 | $88,485 (+42.9%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $167,280 | $143,818 (+33.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $99,370 | $85,433 (+12.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $128,260 | $110,271 (+31.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.