City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 2.5% higher than in Richmond, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Richmond, VA would need about $102,500 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $937 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.3% moving from Detroit, MI to Richmond, VA ($117,402 → $111,183), while prices change by −2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.9% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,567 in Richmond | $102,493 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Richmond, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$937/yr.
77 Strong offer
Richmond, VA → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$937/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Richmond, VA | Real change, Detroit → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $64,475 | −2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $78,009 | −2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $93,499 | −2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $111,183 | −2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $131,385 | −2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $61,290 | $62,818 (−3.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $132,120 | $135,414 (+3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $84,220 | $86,320 (+7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $93,580 | $95,913 (−1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.