City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Tampa, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Detroit, MI (100.3) and Tampa, FL (100.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Detroit, MI goes as far as $100,600 in Tampa, FL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, FL and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Tampa, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Detroit, MI to Tampa, FL ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.9% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Detroit, MI | Tampa, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,590 in Tampa | $99,413 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,696/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $48,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 125.8 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 97.6 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Tampa, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
66 Fair offer
Tampa, FL → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Tampa, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Tampa, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Tampa, FL | Real change, Detroit → Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −9.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −9.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −9.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −9.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −9.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Tampa, FL | Tampa pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $60,120 | $59,767 (−8.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $130,450 | $129,685 (−0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $78,990 | $78,527 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $85,470 | $84,968 (−12.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.