City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Grand Rapids, MI are 7.1% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $107,100 in Grand Rapids, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI versus $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $3,955 in OK.
- 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 Tulsa, OK changes real buying power by +7.1%, purely from prices.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,373 in Tulsa | $107,098 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$45/yr.
91 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$45/yr.
48 Fair 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 Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Grand Rapids → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $48,220 | $51,642 (−16.6%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $108,730 | $116,447 (+8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $81,320 | $87,092 (+14.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $84,790 | $90,808 (+8.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.