City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 9.4% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $109,400 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL and $1,122 in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $736 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.2% moving from Birmingham, AL to Detroit, MI ($107,510 → $117,402), while prices change by +9.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.2% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Birmingham, AL | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,443 in Detroit | $91,372 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$736/yr.
42 Weak offer
Detroit, MI → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$736/yr.
98 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Detroit, MI | Real change, Birmingham → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $68,081 | −0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $82,372 | −0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $98,729 | −0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $117,402 | −0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $138,734 | −0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $115,520 | $108,990 | $99,586 (−13.8%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $130,760 | $119,478 (−4.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $80,650 | $73,691 (−6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $97,280 | $88,886 (+13.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.