City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 1.7% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $101,700 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, 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 Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Detroit, MI to Houston, TX ($117,402 → $122,749), while prices change by −1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.3% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,336 in Houston | $101,692 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
74 Strong offer
Houston, TX → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Houston, TX | Real change, Detroit → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $71,181 | +6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $86,123 | +6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $103,225 | +6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $122,749 | +6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $145,052 | +6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $64,500 | $65,591 (+0.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $129,440 | $131,630 (+0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $85,090 | $86,530 (+7.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $99,830 | $101,519 (+4.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.