City comparison
Chattanooga, TN vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 9.7% higher than in Chattanooga, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Chattanooga, TN would need about $109,700 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,263 a month in Chattanooga, TN versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Chattanooga, TN and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Chattanooga, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Chattanooga, TN to Detroit, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by +9.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.6% in real buying power.
- Chattanooga, TN: price level 91.5 (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
| Chattanooga, TN | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.5 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,658 in Detroit | $91,192 in Chattanooga |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,263/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,700 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chattanooga | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.5 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 96.0 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 74.2 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 91.5 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chattanooga, TN → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
41 Weak offer
Detroit, MI → Chattanooga, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chattanooga, TN 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 Chattanooga, TN to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chattanooga, TN | Detroit, MI | Real change, Chattanooga → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | +0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | +0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | +0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | +0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | +0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chattanooga, TN | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Chattanooga dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,830 | $65,210 | $59,466 (−0.6%) |
| Software Developers | $106,750 | $130,760 | $119,243 (+11.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $80,650 | $73,547 (−4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,770 | $97,280 | $88,712 (+11.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.