City comparison
Flint, MI vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 11.9% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $111,900 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,356 a month in Modesto, CA versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Modesto, CA and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Flint, MI to Modesto, CA ($117,402 → $133,060), while prices change by +11.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.3% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,903 in Modesto | $89,363 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,356/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
38 Weak offer
Modesto, CA → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Modesto, CA | Real change, Flint → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $77,161 | +1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $93,358 | +1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $111,896 | +1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $133,060 | +1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $157,236 | +1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $101,640 | $90,829 (+38.4%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $119,770 | $107,030 (+5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $83,560 | $74,672 (+0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $132,590 | $118,486 (+21.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.