Residential comparison · 13 facts
Ann Arbor, MI vs Grand Rapids, MI
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Ann Arbor needs about $82,500 in Grand Rapids to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Grand Rapids, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $87,500 in Ann Arbor.
A few differences
- Ann Arbor is lower on property tax rate (1.35% vs 1.6%).
- Ann Arbor is lower on groceries index (95 vs 96).
- Ann Arbor is higher on median household income ($82,212 vs $65,000).
Ann Arbor vs Grand Rapids · facet by facet
| Facet | Ann Arbor, MI | Grand Rapids, MI |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $453,400 | $290,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,759/mo | $1,500/mo |
| Property tax rate | 1.35% | 1.6% |
| State & local income tax | 5.25% | 5.75% |
| Sales tax | 6% | 6% |
| Cost of living index | 106 | 92 |
| Groceries index | 95 | 96 |
| Utilities | $175/mo | $160/mo |
| Median household income | $82,212 | $65,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.5% |
| Crime index | 45/100 | 44/100 |
| School rating | 5.3/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 175 days | 158 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Ann Arbor, MI · Grand Rapids, MI
Questions & answers
- Is Ann Arbor cheaper than Grand Rapids?
- Grand Rapids has the lower day-to-day cost index (92 vs 106 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Grand Rapids equals $85,000 in Ann Arbor?
- A household earning $85,000 in Ann Arbor needs about $82,500 in Grand Rapids to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Grand Rapids lifestyle costs about $87,500 in Ann Arbor.