City comparison
Brownsville, 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 16.7% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $116,700 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,122 a month in Detroit, MI versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Detroit, MI and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Brownsville, TX to Detroit, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by +16.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.4% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (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
| Brownsville, TX | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,659 in Detroit | $85,720 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/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 | 13% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
38 Weak offer
Detroit, MI → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.7%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX 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 Brownsville, TX to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Detroit, MI | Real change, Brownsville → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | −5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | −5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | −5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $65,210 | $55,898 (−11.8%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $130,760 | $112,087 (+4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $80,650 | $69,133 (+4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $97,280 | $83,388 (+2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.