City comparison
Flint, MI vs Fresno, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fresno, CA are 9.8% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $109,800 in Fresno, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,355 a month in Fresno, CA versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Fresno, CA and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Fresno, CA than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.9% moving from Flint, MI to Fresno, CA ($117,402 → $106,973), while prices change by +9.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.0% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Fresno, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 102.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,807 in Fresno | $91,069 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,355/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $46,910 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Fresno, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Fresno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 95.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 161.0 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 102.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Fresno, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
41 Weak offer
Fresno, CA → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Fresno, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Fresno, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Fresno, CA | Real change, Flint → Fresno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,033 | −17.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,055 | −17.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,959 | −17.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,973 | −17.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $126,410 | −17.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Fresno, CA | Fresno pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $78,800 | $71,762 (+9.4%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $129,060 | $117,533 (+15.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $78,690 | $71,662 (−3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $125,420 | $114,218 (+16.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.