City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 1.9% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $101,900 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,192 a year in ID and $3,999 in MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Boise City, ID to Detroit, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by +1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.2% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (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
| Boise City, ID | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,938 in Detroit | $98,099 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$192/yr.
63 Fair offer
Detroit, MI → Boise City, ID
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$192/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Detroit, MI | Real change, Boise City → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | +8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | +8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | +8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | +8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | +8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $65,210 | $63,970 (+4.5%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $130,760 | $128,274 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $80,650 | $79,117 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $97,280 | $95,430 (−2.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.