City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 3.3% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $103,300 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $806 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.3% moving from Chicago, IL to Detroit, MI ($118,984 → $117,402), while prices change by −3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.9% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (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
| Chicago, IL | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,817 in Detroit | $103,287 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Detroit, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$806/yr.
79 Strong offer
Detroit, MI → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$806/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Detroit, MI | Real change, Chicago → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $68,081 | +1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $82,372 | +1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $98,729 | +1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $117,402 | +1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $138,734 | +1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $65,210 | $67,354 (−14.1%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $130,760 | $135,058 (+0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $80,650 | $83,301 (+1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $97,280 | $100,478 (−0.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.