($1,658) Movers From Detroit, MI to San Jose, CA

What to know before moving from Detroit to San Jose

Moving from Detroit to San Jose comes with exciting new opportunities — but also higher living costs. Since San Jose is generally more expensive than Detroit, it’s important to plan ahead and budget carefully for the change.

Check out how the two cities compare so you know what to expect before you relocate:

• Rent prices in San Jose are 148% higher than in Detroit, which means you’ll have less money in your pocket each month.
• In terms of homeownership, you’ll be able to get more for your money in Detroit.
  Home prices in San Jose are 1,887.1% higher than in Detroit.
• Income in San Jose is 120.9% higher than in Detroit, so you could earn more for doing the same job. The top employers in San Jose include Cisco Systems, Western Digital, and Infineon Technologies.
• Be sure to budget for higher bills in San Jose, since the cost of living for a single person in San Jose is 47.0% higher than in Detroit. This includes routine expenses like utilities, groceries, clothing, and transportation.
• If you’re moving your family to San Jose, keep in mind that your living expenses could increase. The cost of living for a family in San Jose is 24.9% higher than in Detroit.
• The unemployment rate in San Jose is 27.15% lower than in Detroit.
• You’ll spend more on retail and restaurants in San Jose, since the city’s sales taxes in San Jose are 56.33% higher than in Detroit.
• State income taxes in San Jose are 212.94% higher than in Detroit.

To put this in perspective, you would need around $4,408.80 in San Jose to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with $3,000.00 in Detroit.

How life is different in Detroit vs. San Jose

• The population of San Jose is about 52% greater than Detroit, so you may find more to see and do in your new surroundings. Of course, with more people can also come increased competition for jobs and housing.
• Your access to buses, shuttles, trams, or trains in San Jose will be about the same as it currently is in Detroit. The cities share a similar public transportation score, which means their transit systems are comparable in terms of how connected they are, how often they provide service, and how close they are to jobs, housing, retail and food stores, and other important locations.
• You’ll find San Jose to be about as walkable as Detroit. The two cities have similar walkability scores of 51 and 51 respectively out of 100 in terms of how close housing is to businesses, recreational facilities, and jobs.
• If cycling is your thing, San Jose is considered more bike-friendly than Detroit in terms of designated lanes and connectivity and how many residents opt to commute on two wheels rather than by car. San Jose has a bike-friendliness score of 62 out of 100, while Detroit is rated as 52 out of 100.
• San Jose has a lower crime rate than Detroit based on scores of 47.73 and Detroit's 72.92, respectively. The crime index shows how safe a city is perceived to be. So, a lower score generally means less crime.
• You might find more confidence in your overall safety in San Jose than in Detroit, based on San Jose’s safety index of 52.27 versus 27.08 for Detroit. With this index, higher scores indicate more safety, particularly around how comfortable residents feel walking alone during the day and at night.
• The air quality in San Jose isn’t as good as it is in Detroit, so you may want to take precautions if you suffer from conditions like allergies or asthma. San Jose has an air quality rating of Moderate, and Detroit is considered to be good. Cities with good to moderate air quality may have varying levels of minor potential for health risks for certain people. Beyond the moderate rating, those health risks increase in severity and the amount of residents affected.