City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Atlanta, GA (100.1) and Detroit, MI (100.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Atlanta, GA goes as far as $100,200 in Detroit, MI.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $568 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.3% moving from Atlanta, GA to Detroit, MI ($112,556 → $117,402), while prices change by +0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.1% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- 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
| Atlanta, GA | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,240 in Detroit | $99,761 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$568/yr.
68 Fair offer
Detroit, MI → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$568/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Detroit, MI | Real change, Atlanta → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $68,081 | +4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $82,372 | +4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $98,729 | +4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $117,402 | +4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $138,734 | +4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $65,210 | $65,054 (−15.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $130,760 | $130,447 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $80,650 | $80,457 (−6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $97,280 | $97,047 (−3.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.