City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 10.5% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $110,500 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,122 a month in Detroit, MI versus $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Detroit, MI and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,386 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Detroit, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by +10.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.2% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,485 in Detroit | $90,510 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,386/yr.
39 Weak offer
Detroit, MI → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,386/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Detroit, MI | Real change, Baton Rouge → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | −0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | −0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | −0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | −0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | −0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $65,210 | $59,022 (−0.5%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $130,760 | $118,351 (+16.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $80,650 | $72,997 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $97,280 | $88,048 (+8.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.