City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI vs Austin, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Ann Arbor, MI are 2.9% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $102,900 in Ann Arbor, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,387 in Ann Arbor, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 22% in Ann Arbor, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Ann Arbor, MI than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.8% moving from Ann Arbor, MI to Austin, TX ($117,402 → $109,428), while prices change by −2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Ann Arbor, MI: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Ann Arbor, MI | Austin, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 98.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,211 in Austin | $102,869 in Ann Arbor |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,387/mo | $1,562/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,380 | $56,950 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX |
Rent areas: Ann Arbor, MI MSA and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA. Metro areas: Ann Arbor, MI and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ann Arbor | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.3 | 120.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 98.2 | 82.0 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 98.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ann Arbor, MI → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
78 Strong offer
Austin, TX → Ann Arbor, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ann Arbor, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Austin, TX is in Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Ann Arbor, MI to Austin, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ann Arbor, MI | Austin, TX | Real change, Ann Arbor → Austin |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $63,457 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $76,777 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $92,023 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $109,428 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $129,311 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ann Arbor, MI | Austin, TX | Austin pay in Ann Arbor dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,060 | $61,270 | $63,028 (−1.6%) |
| Software Developers | $126,830 | $134,120 | $137,969 (+8.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $83,120 | $85,505 (+6.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,450 | $97,890 | $100,699 (−2.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.