City comparison
Flint, MI vs Lafayette, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Flint, MI are 6.7% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $106,700 in Flint, MI to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $856 a month in Flint, MI and $898 in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,386 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Flint, MI to Lafayette, LA ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.3% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Lafayette, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 87.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,739 in Lafayette | $106,679 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $898/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $41,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Lafayette, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 58.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 87.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,386/yr.
90 Strong offer
Lafayette, LA → Flint, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,386/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Lafayette, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Lafayette, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Lafayette, LA | Real change, Flint → Lafayette |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $47,770 | $50,961 (−22.3%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $109,010 | $116,291 (+14.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $67,630 | $72,147 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $81,960 | $87,434 (−10.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.