City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 4.1% higher than in Nashville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Nashville, TN would need about $104,100 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Detroit, MI to Nashville, TN ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,052 in Nashville | $104,111 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Nashville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
82 Strong offer
Nashville, TN → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Nashville, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Nashville, TN | Real change, Detroit → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $61,460 | $63,986 (−1.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $126,610 | $131,814 (+0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $78,080 | $81,289 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $84,040 | $87,494 (−10.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.