City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Fresno, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fresno, CA are 1.9% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $101,900 in Fresno, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,355 a month in Fresno, CA versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Fresno, CA and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Fresno, CA than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.9% moving from Detroit, MI to Fresno, CA ($117,402 → $106,973), while prices change by +1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.5% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Fresno, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 102.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,854 in Fresno | $98,179 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,355/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $46,910 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Fresno, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Fresno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 95.7 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 161.0 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 102.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Fresno, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
63 Fair offer
Fresno, CA → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Fresno, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Fresno, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Fresno, CA | Real change, Detroit → Fresno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,033 | −10.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,055 | −10.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,959 | −10.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,973 | −10.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $126,410 | −10.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Fresno, CA | Fresno pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $78,800 | $77,365 (+18.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $129,060 | $126,710 (−3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $78,690 | $77,257 (−4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $125,420 | $123,136 (+26.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.