City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 5.3% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $105,300 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.9% moving from Bremerton, WA to Detroit, MI ($119,630 → $117,402), while prices change by −5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.3% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (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
| Bremerton, WA | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,973 in Detroit | $105,293 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Detroit, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
85 Strong offer
Detroit, MI → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Detroit, MI | Real change, Bremerton → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $68,081 | +3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $82,372 | +3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $98,729 | +3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $117,402 | +3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $138,734 | +3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $65,210 | $68,662 (−33.1%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $130,760 | $137,681 (−5.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $80,650 | $84,919 (−3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $97,280 | $102,429 (−4.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.