Moving from Memphis, TN to Detroit, MI
Memphis to Detroit is a move of about 800 miles. Median rent is $1,207 a month in Detroit and $1,220 in Memphis, and the median home is $249,700 against $245,900. Memphis has no state income tax, against a flat 4.25% in Detroit. Property tax runs 1.37% of home value in Detroit and 0.76% in Memphis.
Moving to Detroit costs about
$440/mo
more than Memphis each month, renting on a $80,000 household income
Not your income? Run it on your own numbers
Worth knowing
Utilities cost 44% more in Detroit
Power, gas and water run about $134 a month more in Detroit than in Memphis. It is the cost people forget to check, and over a year it is roughly $1,612.
Memphis vs Detroit at a glance
| Memphis | Detroit | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $245,900 | $249,700 |
| Median rent | $1,220/mo | $1,207/mo |
| State income tax | No state income tax | Flat 4.25% |
| Property tax rate | 0.76% | 1.37% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 96 | 99 |
| Utilities | 74 | 107 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
Monthly cost of living: Memphis vs Detroit
| Monthly | Memphis | Detroit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent) | $1,220 | $1,207 | -$13 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income taxBiggest factor | $0 | $262 | +$262 |
| Local income tax (state average) | None | $11 | +$11 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $99 | $92 | -$7 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,764 | $1,812 | +$48 |
| Utilities | $303 | $437 | +$134 |
| Total | +$435 | ||
Cost to move from Memphis to Detroit
$2,000 to $4,600
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $550 to $850, against roughly $250 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 2-day trip yourself.
Housing and everyday prices here are for the metro area. Income and sales tax are set by state law and have no metro equivalent, so those come from Tennessee and Michigan. Compare the whole states instead to see how each metro sits against the state it is in.
Run this with your own numbers
What jobs pay in Detroit, after the cost of living
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Housing and price figures are metro-area medians or averages; income and sales tax are statewide. Neither will match any particular household.