City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 9.4% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $109,400 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,109 a month in Des Moines, IA and $1,122 in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $851 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.4% moving from Des Moines, IA to Detroit, MI ($107,301 → $117,402), while prices change by +9.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.0% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (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
| Des Moines, IA | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,375 in Detroit | $91,429 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$851/yr.
42 Weak offer
Detroit, MI → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$851/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Detroit, MI | Real change, Des Moines → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $68,081 | +0.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $82,372 | +0.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $98,729 | +0.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $117,402 | +0.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $138,734 | +0.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $65,210 | $59,621 (−3.3%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $130,760 | $119,552 (−5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $80,650 | $73,737 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $97,280 | $88,942 (+13.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.