City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Dearborn Heights | Grand Rapids | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,204/mo | $1,138/mo | 5.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $161,200 | $203,900 | 20.9% lower in A |
| Median household income | $58,335 | $61,634 | 5.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.1 | 94.5 | 3.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 102.4 | 93.2 | 9.9% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 100.9 | 98.8 | 2.1% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 99.4 | 2.1% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Dearborn Heights, you'd need $94,726 in Grand Rapids to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Grand Rapids, MI is about 5.3% cheaper overall than Dearborn Heights, MI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 8% lower in Grand Rapids than in Dearborn Heights. If you earn $80,000 in Dearborn Heights, you'd need about $75,781 in Grand Rapids to keep the same standard of living.