City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 3.8% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $103,800 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,356 a month in Modesto, CA versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Modesto, CA and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Detroit, MI to Modesto, CA ($117,402 → $133,060), while prices change by +3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.2% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,799 in Modesto | $96,340 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,356/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
57 Fair offer
Modesto, CA → Detroit, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Modesto, CA | Real change, Detroit → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $77,161 | +9.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $93,358 | +9.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $111,896 | +9.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $133,060 | +9.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $157,236 | +9.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $101,640 | $97,920 (+50.2%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $119,770 | $115,387 (−11.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $83,560 | $80,502 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $132,590 | $127,738 (+31.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.