City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 5.1% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $105,100 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,243 a month in Anchorage, AK versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Anchorage, AK and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.4% moving from Anchorage, AK to Detroit, MI ($120,348 → $117,402), while prices change by −4.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,141 in Detroit | $105,107 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Detroit, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
85 Strong offer
Detroit, MI → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Detroit, MI | Real change, Anchorage → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $68,081 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $82,372 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $98,729 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $117,402 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $138,734 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $65,210 | $68,540 (−13.5%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $130,760 | $137,438 (+32.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $80,650 | $84,769 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $97,280 | $102,248 (−11.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.