This was probably the one data point that caught our attention the most. At first glance, it doesn’t seem possible. After all, the median one-bedroom rental in Seattle is nearly $2,000 a month while rates in Detroit are hovering around $780.
However, when you consider the median annual income in each city, the average worker in Detroit is barely cracking $22,000 after taxes. That means 42 percent of that paycheck is being used for rent, where workers in Seattle are bringing home $63,600 each year — of which 38 percent goes to rent.
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