Grand Rapids vs Milwaukee
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $184,000 in Milwaukee and $244,500 in Grand Rapids.
- Households earn more in Grand Rapids ($69,108 vs $54,234 median).
- Grand Rapids gets far more snow: 78 inches a year vs 49.
- Grand Rapids is growing faster: +1.2% since 2020 vs -2.7%.
- Commutes are shorter in Grand Rapids (19 vs 22 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Grand Rapids, MI | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 201,183 | 562,407 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.2% | -2.7% |
| People per square mile | 4,493 | 5,848 |
| Median age | 32.3 | 32.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42% | 27% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $69,108 | $54,234 |
| Median home value | $244,500 | $184,000 |
| Home value to income | 3.5× | 3.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,266 | $1,059 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 95.5 | 96.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 86.6 | 97.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $71,700 | $72,700 |
| Homeowners | 54% | 42% |
| Top state income tax | 4.25% | 7.65% |
| Combined sales tax | 6% | 5.72% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.0 | 22.4 |
| Work from home | 14% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 5% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.2% | 6.2% |
| Poverty rate | 16.9% | 22.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 31° / 19° | 31° / 17° |
| July high / low | 83° / 63° | 82° / 65° |
| Precipitation per year | 39 in | 35 in |
| Snowfall per year | 78 in | 49 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 10 | 9 |
| Nights below freezing | 133 | 123 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 92.2 | 98.4 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 42% | 60% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.5% | +6.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +49.8% | +51.9% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Grand Rapids: May to September. Milwaukee: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Grand Rapids weather by month and Milwaukee weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $71,700 in Grand Rapids and $72,700 in Milwaukee. Moving from Grand Rapids to Milwaukee, you would need about $76,100 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Grand Rapids and Milwaukee
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Grand Rapids and Milwaukee.
Which would you pick?
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