Moving from Houston, TX to Grand Rapids, MI
Houston to Grand Rapids is a move of about 1,318 miles. Median rent is $1,202 a month in Grand Rapids and $1,430 in Houston, and the median home is $285,300 against $298,000. Houston has no state income tax, against a flat 4.25% in Grand Rapids. Property tax runs 1.07% of home value in Grand Rapids and 1.61% in Houston.
Moving to Grand Rapids costs about
$90/mo
less than Houston each month, renting on a $80,000 household income
Not your income? Run it on your own numbers
Worth knowing
The move pays for itself in about 35 months
Moving costs somewhere around $3,119, and Grand Rapids runs about $90 a month cheaper. After roughly 35 months you are ahead.
Houston vs Grand Rapids at a glance
| Houston | Grand Rapids | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $298,000 | $285,300 |
| Median rent | $1,430/mo | $1,202/mo |
| State income tax | No state income tax | Flat 4.25% |
| Property tax rate | 1.61% | 1.07% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 101 | 94 |
| Utilities | 95 | 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: Houston vs Grand Rapids
| Monthly | Houston | Grand Rapids | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent) | $1,430 | $1,202 | -$228 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income tax | $0 | $262 | +$262 |
| Local income tax (state average) | None | $11 | +$11 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $92 | $88 | -$4 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,845 | $1,718 | -$127 |
| Utilities | $389 | $383 | -$6 |
| Total | -$92 | ||
Cost to move from Houston to Grand Rapids
$2,600 to $5,800
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $750 to $1,100, against roughly $400 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 3-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 Texas 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.