$100k a year, no longer in San Francisco
changea dispatch from
detroit
MI
42.33°N
83.05°W
Detroit is Motown, techno's birthplace, auto-industry bones, and a comeback story that's actually happening. Coney dogs come with chili and onions, the riverfront looks across at Canada (yes, Canada is south of Detroit), and the murals in Eastern Market could fill an art book. Cass Corridor, Corktown, Mexicantown: every neighborhood feels like its own city. The architecture downtown is genuinely jaw-dropping.
in our guides
the verdict
under San Francisco, every month
Detroit is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
a quick ledger.
$1,472/mo
53% cheaper than San Francisco(vs $3,146/mo)
4.25%
$421/mo less in state tax than San Francisco
vs 9.3% in San Francisco
$6,507/mo
$2,095 more than San Francisco
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$262k
79% cheaper than San Francisco
vs $1239k in San Francisco
4.3M
vs 4.6M in San Francisco
field notes, weather & such.
160
pleasant days a year, in detroit.
San Francisco has the edge here, logging 312 pleasant days a year. Winter shows up, though: 37 days below 20° vs San Francisco's 0.
Noticeably quieter than San Francisco. About 65% fewer events on a typical month.
47/100
43% lower than San Francisco
vs 83/100 in San Francisco
Closest outdoor draw: Seven Lakes State Park, 46 mi.
99/100
0% lower than San Francisco
vs 99/100 in San Francisco
135
22% more than San Francisco
vs 111 nonstops in San Francisco
neighbors of detroit on the map of tradeoffs:
compare detroit with:
