Detroit-Warren-Dearborn → Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Detroit-Warren-Dearborn to Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 100.3 to 102.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $399/mo.

+$2,957
BLS median salary higher in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
431 to 250
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
16.7:1 to 13:1
NCES student-teacher ratio

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Favorable
Cost Index: 100.3 → 102.6
Rent Delta: +$399/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $3K higher median salary
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - $399/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 100.3 to 102.6 (ratio 1.02), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $399/mo ($4,788/yr) from $1,411 in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn to $1,810 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington sits #279 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Detroit-Warren-Dearborn is #346/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,957 higher ($71,303 → $74,260). Labor-market size: 1,883,860 tracked jobs at origin vs 2,874,190 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: Pennsylvania scores 65 (C, #18/51) vs Michigan at 49 (F, #42/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 100.3
RPP 102.6
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
Rent (2BR)
$1,411/mo
$1,810/mo
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
Wages
$71,303
$74,260
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Crime
431 per 100K
250 per 100K
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Schools
16.7:1
13:1
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Childcare
$7,444/yr
N/A
Tie
Environment
1120 violations
5292 violations
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Michigan
49 F #42/51
Income tax
72
Property tax
59
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
16
Destination state · Pennsylvania
65 C #18/51
Income tax
95
Property tax
58
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
72

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn to see what you'd need to earn in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026