City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 3.4% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $103,400 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,256 a month in Rochester, NY versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.7% moving from Detroit, MI to Rochester, NY ($117,402 → $107,182), while prices change by −3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,747 in Rochester | $103,363 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$860/yr.
79 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$860/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Rochester, NY | Real change, Detroit → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,155 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,202 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $90,135 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $107,182 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $126,657 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $62,840 | $64,953 (−0.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $122,770 | $126,898 (−3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $80,890 | $83,610 (+3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $86,570 | $89,481 (−8.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.