City comparison
Detroit, MI vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 4.5% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $104,500 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,122 a month in Detroit, MI versus $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Detroit, MI and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $929 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.7% moving from Detroit, MI to York, PA ($117,402 → $121,785), while prices change by −4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.4% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,715 in York | $104,477 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$929/yr.
83 Strong offer
York, PA → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$929/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | York, PA | Real change, Detroit → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $70,623 | +8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $85,447 | +8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $102,415 | +8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $121,785 | +8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $143,913 | +8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | York, PA | York pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $79,730 | $83,300 (+27.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $114,600 | $119,731 (−8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $75,160 | $78,525 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $96,210 | $100,517 (+3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.