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 | Sterling Heights | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,218/mo | $1,215/mo | 0.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $268,800 | $243,400 | 10.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $83,973 | $75,381 | 11.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 102.9 | 102.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 89.4 | 89.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 93.0 | 93.0 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 93.8 | 93.7 | ≈ 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, you'd need $99,854 in Sterling Heights to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rochester and Sterling Heights have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Rochester, you'd need about $79,883 in Sterling Heights to keep the same standard of living.