City comparison
Crestview, FL vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 3.4% higher than in Crestview, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Crestview, FL would need about $103,400 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Crestview, FL versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Crestview, FL and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Crestview, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Crestview, FL to Detroit, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.7% in real buying power.
- Crestview, FL: price level 97.0 (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
| Crestview, FL | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,367 in Detroit | $96,743 in Crestview |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,510 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Crestview | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.9 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Crestview, FL → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
59 Fair offer
Detroit, MI → Crestview, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Crestview, FL 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 Crestview, FL to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Crestview, FL | Detroit, MI | Real change, Crestview → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | +6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | +6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | +6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | +6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | +6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Crestview, FL | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Crestview dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,330 | $65,210 | $63,086 (+4.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,640 | $130,760 | $126,501 (−3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,510 | $80,650 | $78,023 (−1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,260 | $97,280 | $94,111 (+15.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.