City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Toledo, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 9.7% higher than in Toledo, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Toledo, OH would need about $109,700 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,122 a month in Detroit, MI versus $820 in Toledo, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Detroit, MI and 13% in Toledo, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,032 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Toledo, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Detroit, MI to Toledo, OH ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.6% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Toledo, OH: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Toledo, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 91.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,183 in Toledo | $109,669 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $820/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $48,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Toledo, OH MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Toledo, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Toledo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 67.3 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 91.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Toledo, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.7%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$2,032/yr.
99 Strong offer
Toledo, OH → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,032/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Toledo, OH is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Toledo, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Toledo, OH | Real change, Detroit → Toledo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Toledo, OH | Toledo pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $63,250 | $69,366 (+6.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $104,360 | $114,451 (−12.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $77,400 | $84,884 (+5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $81,050 | $88,887 (−8.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.