City comparison
Detroit, MI vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 4.2% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $104,200 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $3,925 in CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.8% moving from Detroit, MI to New Haven, CT ($117,402 → $125,431), while prices change by +4.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,248 in New Haven | $95,925 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$74/yr.
55 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Detroit, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$74/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | New Haven, CT | Real change, Detroit → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $72,737 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $88,005 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $105,481 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $125,431 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $148,222 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $79,820 | $76,567 (+17.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $133,040 | $127,618 (−2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $94,960 | $91,090 (+12.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $104,490 | $100,232 (+3.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.