City comparison
Charlotte, NC vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 3.0% higher than in Charlotte, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Charlotte, NC would need about $103,000 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $518 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Charlotte, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.9% moving from Charlotte, NC to Detroit, MI ($108,810 → $117,402), while prices change by +3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.7% in real buying power.
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (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
| Charlotte, NC | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,030 in Detroit | $97,059 in Charlotte |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,538/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charlotte | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.6 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charlotte, NC → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$518/yr.
60 Fair offer
Detroit, MI → Charlotte, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$518/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Charlotte, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Charlotte, NC to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charlotte, NC | Detroit, MI | Real change, Charlotte → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $68,081 | +4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $82,372 | +4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $98,729 | +4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $117,402 | +4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $138,734 | +4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charlotte, NC | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Charlotte dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,680 | $65,210 | $63,292 (+7.9%) |
| Software Developers | $135,920 | $130,760 | $126,914 (−6.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,910 | $80,650 | $78,278 (−15.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $90,620 | $97,280 | $94,419 (+4.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.