City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 4.2% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $104,200 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $387 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.6% moving from Baltimore, MD to Detroit, MI ($121,785 → $117,402), while prices change by −4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (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
| Baltimore, MD | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,991 in Detroit | $104,177 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Detroit, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$387/yr.
82 Strong offer
Detroit, MI → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$387/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Detroit, MI | Real change, Baltimore → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $68,081 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $82,372 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $98,729 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $117,402 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $138,734 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $65,210 | $67,934 (−11.1%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $130,760 | $136,221 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $80,650 | $84,018 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $97,280 | $101,343 (+1.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.