City comparison
Flint, MI vs Madison, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Madison, WI are 4.6% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $104,600 in Madison, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,482 a month in Madison, WI versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Madison, WI and 14% in Flint, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $3,919 in WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Flint, MI to Madison, WI ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by +4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.3% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Madison, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,571 in Madison | $95,628 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,482/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $58,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Madison, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 99.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 89.8 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Madison, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$80/yr.
55 Fair offer
Madison, WI → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$80/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Madison, WI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Madison, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Madison, WI | Real change, Flint → Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −13.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −13.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −13.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −13.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −13.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Madison, WI | Madison pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $63,690 | $60,906 (−7.2%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $130,630 | $124,919 (+22.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $81,130 | $77,583 (+4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $101,190 | $96,766 (−1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.