City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI vs Philadelphia, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 1.7% higher than in Ann Arbor, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Ann Arbor, MI would need about $101,700 in Philadelphia, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,520 a month in Philadelphia, PA versus $1,387 in Ann Arbor, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Philadelphia, PA and 22% in Ann Arbor, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $929 a year higher in Ann Arbor, MI than in Philadelphia, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.1% moving from Ann Arbor, MI to Philadelphia, PA ($117,402 → $117,284), while prices change by +1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.7% in real buying power.
- Ann Arbor, MI: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Philadelphia, PA: price level 102.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Ann Arbor, MI | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 102.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,659 in Philadelphia | $98,368 in Ann Arbor |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,387/mo | $1,520/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 | 22% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,380 | $54,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Ann Arbor, MI MSA and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA. Metro areas: Ann Arbor, MI and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ann Arbor | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.3 | 113.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 98.2 | 114.4 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 103.1 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 102.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ann Arbor, MI → Philadelphia, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$929/yr.
64 Fair offer
Philadelphia, PA → Ann Arbor, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$929/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ann Arbor, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Philadelphia, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Ann Arbor, MI to Philadelphia, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ann Arbor, MI | Philadelphia, PA | Real change, Ann Arbor → Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $68,013 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $82,289 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $98,630 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $117,284 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $138,595 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ann Arbor, MI | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia pay in Ann Arbor dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,060 | $78,570 | $77,287 (+20.6%) |
| Software Developers | $126,830 | $133,040 | $130,868 (+3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $85,990 | $84,586 (+5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,450 | $101,180 | $99,528 (−3.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.