City comparison
Flint, MI vs Huntsville, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Flint, MI (93.0) and Huntsville, AL (93.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Flint, MI goes as far as $100,000 in Huntsville, AL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $736 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.6% moving from Flint, MI to Huntsville, AL ($117,402 → $110,847), while prices change by +0.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Huntsville, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,041 in Huntsville | $99,959 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,136/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $51,740 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Huntsville, AL MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Huntsville, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Huntsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 77.9 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 83.9 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Huntsville, AL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$736/yr.
69 Fair offer
Huntsville, AL → Flint, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$736/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Huntsville, AL is in Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Huntsville, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Huntsville, AL | Real change, Flint → Huntsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $64,279 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $77,772 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $93,216 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $110,847 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $130,987 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Huntsville, AL | Huntsville pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $62,250 | $62,225 (−5.2%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $128,080 | $128,028 (+25.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $79,220 | $79,188 (+6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $77,090 | $77,059 (−21.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.