City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Harrisburg, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 1.7% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $101,700 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,212 a month in Harrisburg, PA versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Harrisburg, PA and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $929 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.5% moving from Detroit, MI to Harrisburg, PA ($117,402 → $108,592), while prices change by −1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Harrisburg, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 98.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,357 in Harrisburg | $101,671 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,212/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $49,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 96.3 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 108.1 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 98.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Harrisburg, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$929/yr.
74 Strong offer
Harrisburg, PA → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$929/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Harrisburg, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Harrisburg, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Harrisburg, PA | Real change, Detroit → Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,972 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $76,190 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $91,320 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $108,592 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $128,323 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Harrisburg, PA | Harrisburg pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $77,160 | $78,449 (+20.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $109,470 | $111,299 (−14.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $76,510 | $77,788 (−3.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $96,770 | $98,387 (+1.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.