City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Gainesville, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 3.7% higher than in Gainesville, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Gainesville, FL would need about $103,700 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,246 a month in Gainesville, FL versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Gainesville, 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 Gainesville, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Detroit, MI to Gainesville, FL ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Gainesville, FL: price level 96.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Gainesville, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 96.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,446 in Gainesville | $103,685 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,246/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $47,020 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Gainesville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Gainesville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Gainesville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 93.0 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 88.2 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 96.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Gainesville, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
80 Strong offer
Gainesville, FL → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Gainesville, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Gainesville, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Gainesville, FL | Real change, Detroit → Gainesville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Gainesville, FL | Gainesville pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $56,430 | $58,510 (−10.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $122,950 | $127,481 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $75,820 | $78,614 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $81,870 | $84,887 (−12.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.