City comparison
Boston, MA vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 7.9% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $107,900 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $781 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.6% moving from Boston, MA to Detroit, MI ($120,548 → $117,402), while prices change by −7.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- 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
| Boston, MA | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,640 in Detroit | $107,944 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Detroit, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$781/yr.
94 Strong offer
Detroit, MI → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.4%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$781/yr.
23 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Detroit, MI | Real change, Boston → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $68,081 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $82,372 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $98,729 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $117,402 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $138,734 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $65,210 | $70,390 (−28.2%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $130,760 | $141,148 (−15.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $80,650 | $87,057 (−13.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $97,280 | $105,008 (−1.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.