City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Green Bay, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 7.7% higher than in Green Bay, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Green Bay, WI would need about $107,700 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,122 a month in Detroit, MI versus $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Detroit, MI and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $3,919 in WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Detroit, MI to Green Bay, WI ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Green Bay, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,809 in Green Bay | $107,748 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $931/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $49,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Green Bay, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Green Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 74.7 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 90.0 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Green Bay, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$80/yr.
93 Strong offer
Green Bay, WI → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$80/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Green Bay, WI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Green Bay, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Green Bay, WI | Real change, Detroit → Green Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Green Bay, WI | Green Bay pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $60,600 | $65,295 (+0.1%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $103,160 | $111,153 (−15.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $77,720 | $83,741 (+3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $84,700 | $91,262 (−6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.