City comparison
Detroit, MI vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 12.2% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $112,200 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $860 a year higher in New York, NY than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.8% moving from Detroit, MI to New York, NY ($117,402 → $125,431), while prices change by +12.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.8% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,229 in New York | $89,104 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $61,430 |
| 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 York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.9%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$860/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Detroit, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$860/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | New York, NY | Real change, Detroit → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $72,737 | −4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $88,005 | −4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $105,481 | −4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $125,431 | −4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $148,222 | −4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | New York, NY | New York pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $96,900 | $86,342 (+32.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $166,830 | $148,652 (+13.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $105,650 | $94,138 (+16.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $119,720 | $106,675 (+9.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.