City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 2.8% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $102,800 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Dallas, TX to Detroit, MI ($115,711 → $117,402), while prices change by −2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.3% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (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
| Dallas, TX | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,292 in Detroit | $102,784 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/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 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Detroit, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
77 Strong offer
Detroit, MI → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Detroit, MI | Real change, Dallas → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $68,081 | +4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $82,372 | +4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $98,729 | +4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $117,402 | +4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $138,734 | +4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $65,210 | $67,025 (+3.0%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $130,760 | $134,400 (+0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $80,650 | $82,895 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $97,280 | $99,988 (−1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.