City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Greeley, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Detroit, MI (100.3) and Greeley, CO (100.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Detroit, MI goes as far as $99,900 in Greeley, CO.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,238 a month in Greeley, CO versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greeley, CO and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $308 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Greeley, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.1% moving from Detroit, MI to Greeley, CO ($117,402 → $118,675), while prices change by −0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.2% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Greeley, CO: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Greeley, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,878 in Greeley | $100,122 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,238/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $55,070 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Greeley, CO MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Greeley, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Greeley |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 112.6 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 82.0 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Greeley, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$308/yr.
69 Fair offer
Greeley, CO → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$308/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Greeley, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Greeley, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Greeley, CO | Real change, Detroit → Greeley |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $68,819 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $83,265 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $99,800 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $118,675 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $140,239 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Greeley, CO | Greeley pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $60,160 | $60,233 (−7.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $129,480 | $129,638 (−0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $87,240 | $87,346 (+8.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $96,300 | $96,417 (−0.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.