City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 6.4% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $106,400 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Detroit, MI to Sacramento, CA ($117,402 → $117,984), while prices change by +6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.5% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,353 in Sacramento | $94,026 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
43 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Detroit, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Detroit → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $68,419 | −5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $82,780 | −5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $99,218 | −5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $117,984 | −5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $139,422 | −5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $103,390 | $97,214 (+49.1%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $139,640 | $131,299 (+0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $92,110 | $86,608 (+7.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $171,460 | $161,218 (+65.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.