City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Eugene, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Eugene, OR are 1.3% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $101,300 in Eugene, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,286 a month in Eugene, OR versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Eugene, OR and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,921 a year higher in Eugene, OR than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Detroit, MI to Eugene, OR ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.5% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Eugene, OR: price level 101.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Eugene, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 101.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,266 in Eugene | $98,750 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,286/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $49,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Eugene-Springfield, OR MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Eugene-Springfield, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Eugene |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 98.3 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 102.5 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 101.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Eugene, OR
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,921/yr.
65 Fair offer
Eugene, OR → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,921/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Eugene, OR is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Eugene, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Eugene, OR | Real change, Detroit → Eugene |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −10.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −10.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −10.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −10.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −10.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Eugene, OR | Eugene pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $64,260 | $63,456 (−2.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $121,050 | $119,536 (−8.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $79,930 | $78,931 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $113,720 | $112,298 (+15.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.