City comparison
Austin, TX vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 2.3% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $102,300 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.3% moving from Austin, TX to Detroit, MI ($109,428 → $117,402), while prices change by +2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.9% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,276 in Detroit | $97,775 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
62 Fair offer
Detroit, MI → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Detroit, MI | Real change, Austin → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $68,081 | +4.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $82,372 | +4.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $98,729 | +4.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $117,402 | +4.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $138,734 | +4.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $65,210 | $63,759 (+4.1%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $130,760 | $127,850 (−4.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $80,650 | $78,855 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $97,280 | $95,115 (−2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.