City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Ann Arbor, MI (100.9) and Port St. Lucie, FL (100.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Ann Arbor, MI goes as far as $99,400 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $1,387 in Ann Arbor, MI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 22% in Ann Arbor, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Ann Arbor, MI than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.4% moving from Ann Arbor, MI to Port St. Lucie, FL ($117,402 → $113,356), while prices change by −0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Ann Arbor, MI: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Ann Arbor, MI | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,354 in Port St. Lucie | $100,651 in Ann Arbor |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,387/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,380 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Ann Arbor, MI MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Ann Arbor, MI and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ann Arbor | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.3 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 98.2 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ann Arbor, MI → Port St. Lucie, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
71 Strong offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Ann Arbor, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ann Arbor, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Ann Arbor, MI to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ann Arbor, MI | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Ann Arbor → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $65,735 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $79,533 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $95,326 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $113,356 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $133,953 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ann Arbor, MI | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Ann Arbor dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,060 | $53,610 | $53,959 (−15.8%) |
| Software Developers | $126,830 | $128,510 | $129,346 (+2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $79,430 | $79,947 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,450 | $82,090 | $82,624 (−20.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.