City comparison
Dayton, OH vs Flint, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Dayton, OH (92.7) and Flint, MI (93.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Dayton, OH goes as far as $100,400 in Flint, MI.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,009 a month in Dayton, OH versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Dayton, OH and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,032 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Dayton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.3% moving from Dayton, OH to Flint, MI ($110,401 → $117,402), while prices change by +0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.0% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- 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
| Dayton, OH | Flint, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 93.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,367 in Flint | $99,635 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $856/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $45,880 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Flint, MI MSA. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Flint, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Flint |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 74.0 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 97.1 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 93.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Flint, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$2,032/yr.
68 Fair offer
Flint, MI → Dayton, OH
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,032/yr.
70 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Flint, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Flint, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Flint, MI | Real change, Dayton → Flint |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $68,081 | +6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $82,372 | +6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $98,729 | +6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $117,402 | +6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $138,734 | +6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Flint, MI | Flint pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $65,620 | $65,380 (−18.6%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $101,750 | $101,378 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $74,500 | $74,228 (−6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $97,780 | $97,423 (+18.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.