City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Ann Arbor, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 4.5% higher than in Ann Arbor, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Ann Arbor, MI would need about $104,500 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,387 a month in Ann Arbor, MI versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Ann Arbor, MI and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Ann Arbor, MI than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.4% moving from Anchorage, AK to Ann Arbor, MI ($120,348 → $117,402), while prices change by −4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.9% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Ann Arbor, MI: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Ann Arbor, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,693 in Ann Arbor | $104,500 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,387/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $55,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Ann Arbor, MI MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Ann Arbor, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Ann Arbor |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 125.3 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 98.2 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Ann Arbor, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
83 Strong offer
Ann Arbor, MI → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Ann Arbor, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Ann Arbor, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Ann Arbor, MI | Real change, Anchorage → Ann Arbor |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $68,081 | +1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $82,372 | +1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $98,729 | +1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $117,402 | +1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $138,734 | +1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Ann Arbor, MI | Ann Arbor pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $64,060 | $66,943 (−15.6%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $126,830 | $132,538 (+27.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $80,040 | $83,642 (+1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $103,450 | $108,106 (−6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.