Cost of Living: Rochester, NY vs Grand Rapids, MI

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,116/mo in Rochester, NY versus $4,268/mo in Grand Rapids, MI. In the model, rent is about 15.14% of gross in Rochester, NY versus 13.85% in Grand Rapids, MI, so Grand Rapids, MI tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Rochester, NY
$4,116/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Grand Rapids, MI
$4,268/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Rochester, NY
15.14%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Grand Rapids, MI
13.85%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Rochester, NY and Grand Rapids, MI.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Rochester, NY
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Grand Rapids, MI
  • Lower home prices: Rochester, NY
  • Higher median household income: Grand Rapids, MI

Cost of Living Index

Rochester, NY: 88.4 (U.S. = 100) · Grand Rapids, MI: 90.6 (U.S. = 100)

Rochester, NY has a lower cost-of-living index than Grand Rapids, MI, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Rochester, NY: $987/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Grand Rapids, MI: $903/mo

Median rent in Rochester, NY is $84/mo higher than in Grand Rapids, MI.

Median Home Price

Rochester, NY: $120,600 · Grand Rapids, MI: $158,600

Median home price in Grand Rapids, MI is $38,000 higher than in Rochester, NY.

Median Household Income

Rochester, NY: $46,628 · Grand Rapids, MI: $56,875

Grand Rapids, MI has a higher median household income than Rochester, NY by $10,247.

Rochester, NY overview · Grand Rapids, MI overview · Popular comparisons