Moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Memphis, TN
Grand Rapids to Memphis is a move of about 741 miles. Median rent is $1,220 a month in Memphis and $1,202 in Grand Rapids, and the median home is $245,900 against $285,300. Memphis has no state income tax, against a flat 4.25% in Grand Rapids. Property tax runs 0.76% of home value in Memphis and 1.07% in Grand Rapids.
Moving to Memphis costs about
$280/mo
less than Grand Rapids each month, renting on a $80,000 household income
Not your income? Run it on your own numbers
Worth knowing
Memphis costs less overall, even though housing costs more
Housing runs about $18 a month more in Memphis, yet the move still works out roughly $280 a month cheaper once taxes and everyday costs are counted. The house is the expensive part; everything else is not.
Grand Rapids vs Memphis at a glance
| Grand Rapids | Memphis | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $285,300 | $245,900 |
| Median rent | $1,202/mo | $1,220/mo |
| State income tax | Flat 4.25% | No state income tax |
| Property tax rate | 1.07% | 0.76% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 94 | 96 |
| Utilities | 94 | 74 |
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: Grand Rapids vs Memphis
| Monthly | Grand Rapids | Memphis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent) | $1,202 | $1,220 | +$18 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income taxBiggest factor | $262 | $0 | -$262 |
| Local income tax (state average) | $11 | None | -$11 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $88 | $99 | +$11 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,718 | $1,764 | +$46 |
| Utilities | $383 | $303 | -$80 |
| Total | -$278 | ||
Cost to move from Grand Rapids to Memphis
$2,000 to $4,500
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $500 to $800, against roughly $200 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 Michigan and Tennessee. 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 Memphis, 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.