City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 13.8% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $113,800 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 $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Detroit, MI and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $736 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Detroit, MI to Mobile, AL ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −12.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.2% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,836 in Mobile | $113,848 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$736/yr.
100 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$736/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Mobile, AL | Real change, Detroit → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | +3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | +3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | +3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | +3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | +3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $60,970 | $69,413 (+6.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $122,540 | $139,510 (+6.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $72,130 | $82,119 (+1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $79,490 | $90,498 (−7.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.