City comparison
Canton, OH vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 12.2% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $112,200 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 $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Detroit, MI and 13% in Canton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,032 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Canton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.6% moving from Canton, OH to Detroit, MI ($111,138 → $117,402), while prices change by +12.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.8% in real buying power.
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (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
| Canton, OH | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,183 in Detroit | $89,140 in Canton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $846/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,810 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Canton | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.1 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 96.9 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Canton, OH → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,032/yr.
38 Weak offer
Detroit, MI → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.2%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$2,032/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Canton, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Canton, OH | Detroit, MI | Real change, Canton → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $68,081 | −5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $82,372 | −5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $98,729 | −5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $117,402 | −5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $138,734 | −5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Canton, OH | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Canton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,940 | $65,210 | $58,128 (−25.4%) |
| Software Developers | $105,500 | $130,760 | $116,560 (+10.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,170 | $80,650 | $71,892 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,610 | $97,280 | $86,716 (+8.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.