City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 1.1% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $101,100 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Detroit, MI to Orlando, FL ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.3% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,117 in Orlando | $98,896 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Orlando, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
63 Fair offer
Orlando, FL → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Orlando, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Orlando, FL | Real change, Detroit → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −10.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −10.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −10.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −10.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −10.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $60,190 | $59,525 (−8.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $129,620 | $128,189 (−2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $78,630 | $77,762 (−3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $83,550 | $82,627 (−15.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.