Moving from Birmingham, AL to Grand Rapids, MI
Birmingham to Grand Rapids is a move of about 825 miles. Median rent is $1,202 a month in Grand Rapids and $1,172 in Birmingham, and the median home is $285,300 against $240,200. State income tax is a flat 4.25% in Grand Rapids and up to 5.00% in Birmingham. Property tax runs 1.07% of home value in Grand Rapids and 0.48% in Birmingham.
Moving to Grand Rapids costs
About the same
Birmingham and Grand Rapids work out within $50/mo of each other, renting on a $80,000 household income
Not your income? Run it on your own numbers
Worth knowing
Groceries, gas & goods is what separates these two cities
Of everything that changes when you move from Birmingham to Grand Rapids, groceries, gas & goods moves the most: about $49 a month less, which is most of the whole difference.
Birmingham vs Grand Rapids at a glance
| Birmingham | Grand Rapids | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $240,200 | $285,300 |
| Median rent | $1,172/mo | $1,202/mo |
| State income tax | Up to 5.00% | Flat 4.25% |
| Property tax rate | 0.48% | 1.07% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 96 | 94 |
| Utilities | 84 | 94 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
Monthly cost of living: Birmingham vs Grand Rapids
| Monthly | Birmingham | Grand Rapids | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent) | $1,172 | $1,202 | +$30 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income tax | $311 | $262 | -$49 |
| Local income tax (state average) | $7 | $11 | +$4 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $58 | $88 | +$30 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,767 | $1,718 | -$49 |
| Utilities | $342 | $383 | +$41 |
| Total | +$7 | ||
Cost to move from Birmingham to Grand Rapids
$2,000 to $4,700
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $600 to $850, against roughly $250 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 2-day trip yourself.
Housing and everyday prices here are for the metro area. Income and sales tax are set by state law and have no metro equivalent, so those come from Alabama and Michigan. Compare the whole states instead to see how each metro sits against the state it is in.
Run this with your own numbers
What jobs pay in Grand Rapids, after the cost of living
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Housing and price figures are metro-area medians or averages; income and sales tax are statewide. Neither will match any particular household.