City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI vs Cape Coral, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cape Coral, FL are 1.5% higher than in Ann Arbor, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Ann Arbor, MI would need about $101,500 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $1,387 in Ann Arbor, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL 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 Cape Coral, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Ann Arbor, MI to Cape Coral, FL ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.6% in real buying power.
- Ann Arbor, MI: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Ann Arbor, MI | Cape Coral, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 102.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,456 in Cape Coral | $98,565 in Ann Arbor |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,387/mo | $1,638/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,380 | $46,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Ann Arbor, MI MSA and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA. Metro areas: Ann Arbor, MI and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ann Arbor | Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.3 | 125.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 98.2 | 86.9 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 102.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ann Arbor, MI → Cape Coral, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
64 Fair offer
Cape Coral, FL → Ann Arbor, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ann Arbor, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Cape Coral, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Ann Arbor, MI to Cape Coral, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ann Arbor, MI | Cape Coral, FL | Real change, Ann Arbor → Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −10.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −10.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −10.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −10.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −10.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ann Arbor, MI | Cape Coral, FL | Cape Coral pay in Ann Arbor dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,060 | $60,470 | $59,602 (−7.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,830 | $126,940 | $125,118 (−1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $79,420 | $78,280 (−2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,450 | $82,860 | $81,671 (−21.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.