Detroit, MI vs New York, NY
Moving from Detroit to New York? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($269,080 → $727,625 median home) and taxes.
Detroit vs New York at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Detroit, MI, you'd need about $132,877 in New York, NY (+$32,877).
Livability — Detroit, MI: 61 · New York, NY: 43 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 3,066 sqft in Detroit vs 1,099 sqft in New York ($163 vs $455 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Detroit, MI | New York, NY | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $18,000 | $42,036 | +$24,036 |
| Groceries | $4,896 | $5,415 | +$518 |
| Transportation | $4,575 | $3,895 | −$680 |
| Utilities | $5,076 | $6,312 | +$1,236 |
| Insurance | $180 | $180 | +$0 |
| Taxes | $8,750 | $12,290 | +$3,540 |
| Total | $41,477 | $70,127 | +$28,650 |
Effective state & local tax rate on $100,000 — Detroit, MI: 8.8% · New York, NY: 12.3% (income + local + sales + property tax where applicable ÷ income)
Assumptions: 500 gal gasoline/yr · $5000 base annual grocery · 35% of income sales-taxable. Renter: housing = median rent, renter's insurance, no property tax.
Side by side
| Metric | Detroit, MI | New York, NY |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 98.2 | 112.6 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.60% | 6.55% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 1.7% | -1.4% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 55 | 52 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.59 | $6.41 |
| Median home price | $269,080 | $727,625 |
| Home price ÷ income | 3.7× | 7.8× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 2.8% | 4.1% |
| Price per square foot | $163 | $455 |
| Median rent | $1,500 | $3,503 |
| Total tax burden (state avg, Tax Foundation) | 10.0% | 15.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.00% | 8.52% |
| Capital gains tax | 4.25% | 10.90% |
| Property tax rate | 1.43% | 1.74% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 75.9 yrs | 80.3 yrs |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,500 | $7,800 |
| Uninsured (share of residents) | 5.3% | 6.9% |
| Primary care providers / 100k | 84 | 84 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $11,000 | $17,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 0.61% | None |
| Days per year ≥ 90°F | 8 | 12 |
| Days per year ≥ 100°F | 0 | 0 |
| Homes with air conditioning (state) | 87% | 88% |
| Avg commute (min) | 27 | 36 |
| Commute by driving alone | 74.7% | 45.5% |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,300 | $1,600 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $2,700 | $2,100 |
| FEMA risk index (0–100, higher = more risk) | 95.7 — Relatively High | 96.8 — Relatively High |
| Flood insurance / yr | $600 | $800 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 21.4 | 29.4 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.35 | 3.45 |
| Natural gas / mo | $78 | $98 |
| Water & sewer / mo | $74 | $87 |
| Home internet / mo | $78 | $76 |
| Violent crime /100k (state avg) | 460 | 350 |
| Avg summer high °F | 83 | 83 |
| Avg winter low °F | 16 | 16 |
| Annual precipitation (in) | 34.3 | 49.5 |
| Annual snowfall (in) | 45.0 | 29.8 |
| Sunshine (% possible) | 53% | 58% |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 3 | 5 |
Ad · affiliate links
Find a job in Detroit or New York
Openings in each metro, so you can check what your salary actually looks like before you move.