City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 12.3% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $112,300 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Detroit, MI and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $568 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.3% moving from Columbus, GA to Detroit, MI ($112,556 → $117,402), while prices change by +12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.1% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (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
| Columbus, GA | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,321 in Detroit | $89,031 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$568/yr.
38 Weak offer
Detroit, MI → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$568/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Detroit, MI | Real change, Columbus → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $68,081 | −7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $82,372 | −7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $98,729 | −7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $117,402 | −7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $138,734 | −7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $65,210 | $58,057 (−5.4%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $130,760 | $116,417 (+0.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $80,650 | $71,803 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $97,280 | $86,609 (+5.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.