City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Flint, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 7.5% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $107,500 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $568 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.3% moving from Atlanta, GA to Flint, MI ($112,556 → $117,402), while prices change by −7.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.2% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Flint, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 93.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,980 in Flint | $107,550 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $856/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $45,880 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Flint, MI MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Flint, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Flint |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 74.0 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 97.1 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 93.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$568/yr.
92 Strong offer
Flint, MI → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$568/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Flint, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Flint, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Flint, MI | Real change, Atlanta → Flint |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $68,081 | +12.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $82,372 | +12.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $98,729 | +12.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $117,402 | +12.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $138,734 | +12.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Flint, MI | Flint pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $65,620 | $70,574 (−7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $101,750 | $109,432 (−17.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $74,500 | $80,125 (−6.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $97,780 | $105,162 (+4.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.