City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Flint, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 7.8% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $107,800 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,122 a month in Detroit, MI versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Detroit, MI and 14% in Flint, MI.
- Both are in MI, so estimated state income tax is the same: $3,999 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $117,402 in either. A transfer from Detroit, MI to Flint, MI changes real buying power by +7.8%, purely from prices.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (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
| Detroit, MI | Flint, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 93.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,758 in Flint | $107,808 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $856/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $45,880 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Flint, MI MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Flint, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Flint |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 74.0 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 97.1 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 93.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
93 Strong offer
Flint, MI → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Flint, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Flint, MI | Real change, Detroit → Flint |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $68,081 | +7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $82,372 | +7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $98,729 | +7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $117,402 | +7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $138,734 | +7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Flint, MI | Flint pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $65,620 | $70,744 (+8.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $101,750 | $109,695 (−16.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $74,500 | $80,317 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $97,780 | $105,415 (+8.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.