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 | Rochester Hills | Sterling Heights | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,497/mo | $1,215/mo | 23.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $359,800 | $243,400 | 47.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $115,968 | $75,381 | 53.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 98.1 | 98.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 102.4 | 102.4 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 100.9 | 100.9 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 101.5 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Rochester Hills, you'd need $97,207 in Sterling Heights to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sterling Heights, MI is about 2.8% cheaper overall than Rochester Hills, MI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 7% lower in Sterling Heights than in Rochester Hills. If you earn $80,000 in Rochester Hills, you'd need about $77,765 in Sterling Heights to keep the same standard of living.