City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 1.5% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $101,500 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,402 a month in Providence, RI versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $851 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.7% moving from Detroit, MI to Providence, RI ($117,402 → $120,548), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.2% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,471 in Providence | $98,551 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Providence, RI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$851/yr.
64 Fair offer
Providence, RI → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$851/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Providence, RI | Real change, Detroit → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $69,905 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $84,579 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $101,375 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $120,548 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $142,452 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $86,720 | $85,463 (+31.1%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $130,690 | $128,796 (−1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $95,020 | $93,643 (+16.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $99,880 | $98,432 (+1.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.