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 | Portage | Sterling Heights | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,062/mo | $1,215/mo | 12.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $222,600 | $243,400 | 8.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $74,837 | $75,381 | 0.7% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 98.1 | 3.7% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 97.0 | 102.4 | 5.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 100.9 | 2.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 101.5 | 2.1% lower 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 Portage, you'd need $107,882 in Sterling Heights to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Portage, MI is about 7.3% cheaper overall than Sterling Heights, MI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 13% lower in Portage than in Sterling Heights. If you earn $80,000 in Portage, you'd need about $86,305 in Sterling Heights to keep the same standard of living.