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 | Grand Rapids | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,138/mo | $1,235/mo | 7.9% lower in A |
| Median home value | $203,900 | $235,000 | 13.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $61,634 | $60,440 | 2.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 101.7 | 97.7 | 4.1% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 88.0 | 106.5 | 17.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 91.0 | 97.3 | 6.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 91.1 | 90.9 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Grand Rapids, you'd need $106,042 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Grand Rapids, MI is about 5.7% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 8% lower in Grand Rapids than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Grand Rapids, you'd need about $84,834 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.