City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Philadelphia | Sterling Heights | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $1,215/mo | 2.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $243,400 | 11.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $75,381 | 23.7% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.9 | 102.8 | 3.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 91.5 | 89.3 | 2.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 88.3 | 93.0 | 5.0% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 98.8 | 93.7 | 5.5% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need $99,791 in Sterling Heights to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia and Sterling Heights have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 3% lower in Sterling Heights than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $79,833 in Sterling Heights to keep the same standard of living.