City comparison
Flint, MI vs Hartford, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 10.4% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $110,400 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Hartford, CT and 14% in Flint, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $3,925 in CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.3% moving from Flint, MI to Hartford, CT ($117,402 → $120,094), while prices change by +10.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.4% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Hartford, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 102.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,439 in Hartford | $90,548 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,477/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $59,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Hartford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 110.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 144.9 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 102.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$74/yr.
39 Weak offer
Hartford, CT → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$74/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Hartford, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Hartford, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Hartford, CT | Real change, Flint → Hartford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $69,642 | −7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $84,260 | −7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $100,992 | −7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $120,094 | −7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $141,915 | −7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Hartford, CT | Hartford pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $79,800 | $72,257 (+10.1%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $132,520 | $119,994 (+17.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $95,940 | $86,871 (+16.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $101,470 | $91,879 (−6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.