City comparison
Flint, MI vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Flint, MI are 8.3% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $108,300 in Flint, MI to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $856 a month in Flint, MI and $847 in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Flint, MI than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Flint, MI to McAllen, TX ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,326 in McAllen | $108,311 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
95 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Flint, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
45 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | McAllen, TX | Real change, Flint → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $63,110 | $68,355 (+4.2%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $116,120 | $125,771 (+23.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $64,470 | $69,828 (−6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $80,540 | $87,234 (−10.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.