City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Durham, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 2.8% higher than in Durham, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Durham, NC would need about $102,800 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $518 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.3% moving from Detroit, MI to Durham, NC ($117,402 → $111,147), while prices change by −2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Durham, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 97.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,282 in Durham | $102,794 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $60,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Durham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 98.9 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 97.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Durham, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$518/yr.
77 Strong offer
Durham, NC → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$518/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Durham, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Durham, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Durham, NC | Real change, Detroit → Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $64,453 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $77,983 | −2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $93,468 | −2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $111,147 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $131,342 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Durham, NC | Durham pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $51,400 | $52,836 (−19.0%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $135,620 | $139,409 (+6.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $85,090 | $87,467 (+8.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | not published | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.