City comparison
Flint, MI vs Lincoln, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Flint, MI are 1.6% higher than in Lincoln, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Lincoln, NE would need about $101,600 in Flint, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $926 a month in Lincoln, NE versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Lincoln, NE and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $329 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Lincoln, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Flint, MI to Lincoln, NE ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Lincoln, NE: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Lincoln, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 91.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,438 in Lincoln | $101,587 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $926/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $49,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Lincoln, NE HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Lincoln, NE.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Lincoln |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 84.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 76.8 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 91.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Lincoln, NE
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$329/yr.
74 Strong offer
Lincoln, NE → Flint, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$329/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Lincoln, NE is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Lincoln, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Lincoln, NE | Real change, Flint → Lincoln |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Lincoln, NE | Lincoln pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $61,940 | $62,923 (−4.1%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $101,690 | $103,303 (+1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $65,170 | $66,204 (−11.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $87,530 | $88,919 (−9.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.