City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 2.4% higher than in Ann Arbor, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Ann Arbor, MI would need about $102,400 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,387 in Ann Arbor, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 22% in Ann Arbor, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,708 a year higher in Ann Arbor, MI than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.2% moving from Ann Arbor, MI to Phoenix, AZ ($117,402 → $111,338), while prices change by +2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.4% in real buying power.
- Ann Arbor, MI: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Ann Arbor, MI | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,415 in Phoenix | $97,642 in Ann Arbor |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,387/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,380 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Ann Arbor, MI MSA and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Ann Arbor, MI and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ann Arbor | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.3 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 98.2 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ann Arbor, MI → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,708/yr.
61 Fair offer
Phoenix, AZ → Ann Arbor, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,708/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ann Arbor, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Ann Arbor, MI to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ann Arbor, MI | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Ann Arbor → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $64,564 | −7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $78,117 | −7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $93,629 | −7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $111,338 | −7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $131,568 | −7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ann Arbor, MI | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Ann Arbor dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,060 | $59,180 | $57,785 (−9.8%) |
| Software Developers | $126,830 | $131,750 | $128,644 (+1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $80,820 | $78,914 (−1.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,450 | $100,830 | $98,453 (−4.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.