Moving from Chicago to Detroit
Your paycheck buys about the same in Detroit as in Chicago. Compare taxes, rent, home prices and the cost of the move.
Equal salary in Detroit: $88,800
Compare any two of 149 U.S. metro areas. All cities
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $88,800 in Detroit, MI to match $90,000 in Chicago, IL ($1,200 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary. Uses Illinois and Michigan state income tax; includes Detroit resident tax $2,146 (inside city limits).
Prices and housing cover the metro area; taxes use Illinois and Michigan, their principal states. A metro can span several states; living in its other state can change the tax result.
Chicago vs Detroit: key facts
- Median rent
- $1,469 → $1,248/mo
- Median home value
- $339,700 → $271,600
- Median household income
- $90,770 → $76,403
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 103.6 → 100.3
- FEMA county-score mean
- Very high county-score mean (97.1 → 95.7 of 100)
Chicago vs Detroit cost of living
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100).
| Measure | Chicago, IL | Detroit, MI |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 103.6 | 100.3 |
| Median rent | $1,469 | $1,248 |
| Income to rent affordably (30%) | $58,760 | $49,920 |
| Median home value | $339,700 | $271,600 |
| Monthly cost to own (20% down) | $2,506 | $1,869 |
| Income needed to buy | $107,402 | $80,079 |
| Median property tax | $6,461 | $3,489 |
| State income tax on $90,000 | $4,310 | $3,574 |
| City income tax (inside city limits) | None | $2,146 |
| Metro population | 9,406,924 | 4,400,578 |
Metro-area figures (Census ACS 2024, BEA 2024). The fixed tax rows above use an illustrative single-earner salary of $90,000, rounded from Chicago's median household income. Household income can include multiple earners; it is not a typical individual wage. Taxes use each metro's principal state, plus the income tax the principal city charges its residents. Unticking a city's box in the calculator estimates typical suburban tax for living and working outside that tax area; a nonresident city tax for work inside the city is not modeled. A metro can span several states; residence in its other state can change the tax result.
- Detroit, MI: Detroit residents pay a 2.4% city income tax on all income, after a $600 exemption per person. If you live outside Detroit but work in the city, you still pay the 1.2% nonresident rate on those wages. Most suburbs have no city income tax; Hamtramck, Highland Park and Pontiac are exceptions. Fixed examples inside the modeled tax area include this tax; calculator totals follow your city-limit selections.
Your yearly budget: Chicago vs Detroit
This fixed budget example uses $90,000, single filing and residence inside the principal city tax areas. It does not change with the calculator above.
On a $90,000 salary, taxes, gross rent including basic utilities, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $51,000 a year in Chicago and $48,510 in Detroit if you rent: $2,490 less after the move. If you buy the median home, those selected costs use mortgage, property tax, homeowners insurance and electricity instead of gross rent; they come to $64,963 and $57,482 ($7,481 less).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | ChicagoBefore | DetroitAfter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $90,000, single filer | $22,165 | $23,575 | +$1,410 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,153 | $1,444 | +$291 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $2,302 | $2,239 | -$63 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $7,752 | $6,276 | -$1,476 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent and basic utilities ACS median gross rent, 12 months | $17,628 | $14,976 | -$2,652 |
| Total if you rent | $51,000 | $48,510 | -$2,490 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 7.24% | $22,224 | $17,769 | -$4,455 |
| Property tax median home | $6,461 | $3,489 | -$2,972 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,387 | $1,164 | -$223 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,519 | $1,526 | +$7 |
| Total if you buy | $64,963 | $57,482 | -$7,481 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, plus the principal city's resident income tax where it has one, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 metro-area medians. Gross rent includes tenant-paid electricity, gas, water/sewer and fuels; those basic utilities are not added again. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (7.24%, week of October 29, 2026).
State figures for the principal state: EIA 2025 average residential power bill (buyers only), NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on October 29, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $19,601 a year in Chicago and $14,064 in Detroit (Child Care Aware of America, 2025 (2024 fallback for Colorado, Washington, DC and South Carolina) state averages).
Who moves from Chicago to Detroit
About 1,281 households (1,945 people) moved from the Chicago metro area to the Detroit metro area in 2022–2023, making Detroit the #17 destination for people leaving Chicago among the 149 metro areas we cover. 1,966 households moved the other way. Their average adjusted gross income was $123,973.
Cost to move from Chicago to Detroit
| Moving method (2–3 bedrooms) | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) | $350–$840 |
| Moving container | $1,140–$2,200 |
| Full-service movers | $1,900–$5,370 |
Natural hazard risk: Chicago vs Detroit
RelocateMath's population-weighted means of FEMA county risk scores are 97.1 for the Chicago area and 95.7 for the Detroit area, on the county-score scale of 0–100. These means are not official FEMA metro ratings or national metro percentiles. Modeled expected yearly losses from natural hazards average $443 vs $265 per resident; individual properties can differ.
The vertical line marks county-score scale midpoint (50).
The vertical line marks county-score scale midpoint (50).
Frequently asked questions
Is Detroit cheaper than Chicago?
Overall prices in the Detroit area are 3.2% lower than in Chicago (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $1,248 vs $1,469 a month, and the median home is $271,600 vs $339,700.
What salary do I need in Detroit to match $100,000 in Chicago?
About $98,800 in a fixed single-filer W-2 example assuming residence inside both principal cities. It accounts for 2026 federal and principal-state taxes, modeled resident local taxes where applicable, and metro prices. Uses Illinois and Michigan state income tax. This illustration stays fixed when calculator inputs change.
How much does it cost to move from Chicago to Detroit?
For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 280 miles: roughly $350–$840 with a rental truck, $1,140–$2,200 with a container, or $1,900–$5,370 with full-service movers.
How many people move from Chicago to Detroit?
IRS county migration data for 2022–2023 show about 1,281 households (1,945 people) moved from the Chicago metro area to the Detroit metro area, and 1,966 moved the other way.
Related
Where people from Chicago move
- Chicago to New York 4,600 households
- Chicago to Phoenix 3,626 households
- Chicago to Dallas 3,289 households
- Chicago to Los Angeles 3,248 households
- Chicago to Milwaukee 2,294 households
- Chicago to Miami 2,294 households
- Chicago to Indianapolis 2,181 households
- Chicago to Denver 2,160 households
State-agency links identify the responsible tax office; they do not verify every modeled rule. Use forms and guidance for the year you are filing. Local-tax references retain their own publication or filing years. Some documents cover an earlier filing year; a source link is not a claim that every rule has just been rechecked.