Cost of Living in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Grand Rapids, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 201,183
- Median household income
- $70,515
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 95.5
- Unemployment rate
- 5.7%
Is Grand Rapids a good place to live?
Grand Rapids is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 132 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better.
A typical worker in Grand Rapids keeps $3,895 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living4% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,413 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$1,771 of state income tax on a typical wage, plus $705 of local income tax
Cost of living in Grand Rapids
Prices in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI area run 4% below the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 13% below the US average.
- Housing13% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)6% below the US average
- Utilities6% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)About the same as the US average
- All items4% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,413 | $16,956 |
| Food | $463 | $5,556 |
| Transportation | $366 | $4,392 |
| Healthcare | $351 | $4,212 |
| Utilities | $244 | $2,928 |
| Total before taxes | $2,837 | $34,044 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Grand Rapids | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,352 | $1,306 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,413 | $1,365 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,688 | $1,630 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,186 | $2,113 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,502 | $2,417 |
Living in Grand Rapids
How Grand Rapids compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Grand Rapids | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,515 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $286,500 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,362 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 46.5% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 15.1% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 43.2% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 33.3 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 19.2 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 13.5% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 3.3% | 3.7% |
Home internet
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Grand Rapids, led by Xfinity, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T. Fiber reaches 67.2% of homes and 91.6% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Grand Rapids
Pros
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 19.2 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Lower cost of living. Prices are 4% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Affordable homes to buy. The median home is worth $286,500, against $360,600 nationally.
- Fast home internet. 91.6% of homes can get gigabit speeds (FCC).
Cons
- Paychecks don't stretch far. A typical worker keeps $3,895 a year, less than in 132 of 178 large cities.
- Higher unemployment. Unemployment is 5.7%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- Local income tax. Residents also pay City of Grand Rapids income tax: $705 on a typical wage.
What your job keeps in Grand Rapids
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $47,570
- Federal income tax
- −$3,528
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,639
- State income tax
- −$1,771
- Local income tax
- −$705
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$16,956
- Everyday costs
- −$17,076
a year, or $325 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | $107,520 | $44,516 |
| Mechanical engineer | $96,610 | $37,468 |
| Project manager | $95,020 | $36,441 |
| Registered nurse | $83,920 | $29,270 |
| Accountant | $76,270 | $24,328 |
| Teacher | $62,507 | $15,037 |
| Social worker | $58,703 | $12,200 |
| Truck driver | $58,270 | $11,877 |
| Auto mechanic | $49,310 | $5,193 |
| Nursing assistant | $38,340 | −$2,991 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Grand Rapids on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Carpenter $12,421
- Civil engineer $34,877
- Data scientist $37,642
- Dental assistant $6,074
- Dental hygienist $29,509
- Dentist $85,892
- Diesel mechanic $14,092
- Electrician $14,839
- Financial analyst $32,042
- Firefighter $10,378
- HVAC technician $13,309
- Lawyer $58,474
- Licensed practical nurse $17,069
- Lineman $42,261
- Medical assistant −$1,835
- Nurse practitioner $56,157
- Occupational therapist $36,073
- Paralegal $14,936
- Paramedic $4,328
- Pharmacist $65,579
- Pharmacy technician $3,918
- Physical therapist $39,076
- Physician assistant $60,082
- Plumber $27,021
- Police officer $23,457
- Radiologic technologist $25,033
- Respiratory therapist $25,492
- Speech-language pathologist $36,099
- Veterinarian $56,457
- Welder $4,903
Local income tax: Resident rate 1.5% after a $600 personal exemption.
Compare Grand Rapids with other cities
Compare Grand Rapids with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Grand Rapids
6 licensed interstate movers are based in Grand Rapids, and 11 more elsewhere in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Grand Rapids, MI a good place to live?
Grand Rapids is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 132 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better. The typical worker here earns $47,570 and keeps $3,895 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Grand Rapids?
Prices in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI area are 4% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,413 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,423 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Grand Rapids?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $42,400 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI area earns $47,570.
What is the average rent in Grand Rapids?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,352 for a studio, $1,413 for a 1-bedroom and $1,688 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Grand Rapids at $1,362 a month (2024).
Does Grand Rapids have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $47,570, Michigan state income tax comes to about $1,771 a year. Grand Rapids residents also pay City of Grand Rapids income tax, about $705 on the same wage.
What internet providers serve Grand Rapids?
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Grand Rapids, led by Xfinity, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T. 67.2% of homes can get fiber and 91.6% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate