Residential comparison · 13 facts
Grand Rapids, MI vs Sterling Heights, 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 Grand Rapids needs about $82,000 in Sterling Heights to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Sterling Heights, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $88,000 in Grand Rapids.
A few differences
- Sterling Heights is lower on property tax rate (1.35% vs 1.6%).
- Sterling Heights is lower on groceries index (95 vs 96).
- Sterling Heights is higher on median household income ($79,909 vs $65,000).
Grand Rapids vs Sterling Heights · facet by facet
| Facet | Grand Rapids, MI | Sterling Heights, MI |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $290,000 | $274,300 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,500/mo | $1,376/mo |
| Property tax rate | 1.6% | 1.35% |
| State & local income tax | 5.75% | 5.25% |
| Sales tax | 6% | 6% |
| Cost of living index | 92 | 90 |
| Groceries index | 96 | 95 |
| Utilities | $160/mo | $175/mo |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $79,909 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 4.1% |
| Crime index | 44/100 | 45/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 5.3/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 158 days | 175 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: Grand Rapids, MI · Sterling Heights, MI
Questions & answers
- Is Grand Rapids cheaper than Sterling Heights?
- Sterling Heights has the lower day-to-day cost index (90 vs 92 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Sterling Heights equals $85,000 in Grand Rapids?
- A household earning $85,000 in Grand Rapids needs about $82,000 in Sterling Heights to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Sterling Heights lifestyle costs about $88,000 in Grand Rapids.