City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Hagerstown, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 6.5% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $106,500 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Detroit, MI and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $387 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.7% moving from Detroit, MI to Hagerstown, MD ($117,402 → $121,785), while prices change by −6.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.5% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Hagerstown, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 94.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,891 in Hagerstown | $106,506 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $961/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 75.7 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 95.7 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 94.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$387/yr.
89 Strong offer
Hagerstown, MD → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$387/yr.
50 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Hagerstown, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Hagerstown, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Hagerstown, MD | Real change, Detroit → Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $70,623 | +10.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $85,447 | +10.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $102,415 | +10.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $121,785 | +10.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $143,913 | +10.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Hagerstown, MD | Hagerstown pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $108,990 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $122,830 | $130,822 (+0.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $75,250 | $80,146 (−0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $92,770 | $98,806 (+1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.