Moving from Detroit to Chicago
Your paycheck buys about the same in Chicago as in Detroit. Compare taxes, rent, home prices and the cost of the move.
Equal salary in Chicago: $76,100
Compare any two of 149 U.S. metro areas. All cities
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $76,100 in Chicago, IL to match $75,000 in Detroit, MI ($1,100 more), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary. Uses Michigan and Illinois state income tax; includes Detroit resident tax $1,786 (inside city limits).
Detroit vs Chicago: key facts
- Median rent
- $1,248 → $1,469/mo
- Median home value
- $271,600 → $339,700
- Median household income
- $76,403 → $90,770
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 100.3 → 103.6
- Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
- Among the highest (95.7 → 97.1 of 100)
Detroit vs Chicago cost of living
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100).
| Measure | Detroit, MI | Chicago, IL |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 100.3 | 103.6 |
| Median rent | $1,248 | $1,469 |
| Income to rent affordably (30%) | $49,920 | $58,760 |
| Median home value | $271,600 | $339,700 |
| Monthly cost to own (20% down) | $1,826 | $2,453 |
| Income needed to buy | $78,258 | $105,125 |
| Median property tax | $3,489 | $6,461 |
| State income tax on $75,000 | $2,937 | $3,568 |
| City income tax (inside city limits) | $1,786 | None |
| Metro population | 4,400,578 | 9,406,924 |
Metro-area figures (Census ACS 2024, BEA 2024). Taxes use each metro's principal state, plus the income tax the principal city charges its residents. Commuters who live elsewhere often pay a nonresident rate, and many suburbs levy their own local tax, so unticking a city's box in the calculator estimates a typical suburban rate for it instead.
- 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. Take-home figures include the resident tax.
Your yearly budget: Detroit vs Chicago
On a $75,000 salary, taxes, housing, electricity, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $44,582 a year in Detroit and $47,165 in Chicago if you rent: $2,583 more after the move. If you buy the median home, they come to $51,518 and $58,972 ($7,454 more).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | DetroitBefore | ChicagoAfter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $75,000, single filer | $18,130 | $16,975 | -$1,155 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,432 | $1,320 | -$112 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,444 | $1,153 | -$291 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $2,324 | $2,337 | +$13 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $6,276 | $7,752 | +$1,476 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent median, 12 months | $14,976 | $17,628 | +$2,652 |
| Total if you rent | $44,582 | $47,165 | +$2,583 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 6.95% | $17,259 | $21,587 | +$4,328 |
| Property tax median home | $3,489 | $6,461 | +$2,972 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,164 | $1,387 | +$223 |
| Total if you buy | $51,518 | $58,972 | +$7,454 |
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. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%, week of September 17, 2026).
State figures for the principal state: EIA 2024 average residential power bill, 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 September 23, 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 $13,454 a year in Detroit and $19,807 in Chicago (Child Care Aware of America, 2024 state averages).
Who moves from Detroit to Chicago
About 1,966 households (2,469 people) moved from the Detroit metro area to the Chicago metro area in 2022–2023, making Chicago the #2 destination for people leaving Detroit among the 149 metro areas we cover. 1,281 households moved the other way. Their average adjusted gross income was $78,540.
Cost to move from Detroit to Chicago
| 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: Detroit vs Chicago
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the Detroit area among the highest (score 95.7) and the Chicago area among the highest (score 97.1), on a 0–100 national percentile scale. Expected yearly losses from natural hazards average $265 vs $443 per resident.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
Frequently asked questions
Is Chicago cheaper than Detroit?
Overall prices in the Chicago area are 3.3% higher than in Detroit (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $1,469 vs $1,248 a month, and the median home is $339,700 vs $271,600.
What salary do I need in Chicago to match $100,000 in Detroit?
About $101,200, after 2026 federal taxes and local prices. Uses Michigan and Illinois state income tax.
How much does it cost to move from Detroit to Chicago?
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 Detroit to Chicago?
IRS county migration data for 2022–2023 show about 1,966 households (2,469 people) moved from the Detroit metro area to the Chicago metro area, and 1,281 moved the other way.
Related
Where people from Detroit move
- Detroit to Ann Arbor 3,948 households
- Detroit to Grand Rapids 1,606 households
- Detroit to New York 1,026 households
- Dallas 989 households
- Phoenix 820 households
- Los Angeles 813 households
- Atlanta 768 households
- Miami 720 households