City comparison
Flint, MI vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 3.6% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $103,600 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Flint, MI to Nashville, TN ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.4% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,551 in Nashville | $96,570 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
58 Fair offer
Nashville, TN → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Nashville, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Nashville, TN | Real change, Flint → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −12.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −12.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −12.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −12.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −12.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $61,460 | $59,352 (−9.6%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $126,610 | $122,268 (+20.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $78,080 | $75,402 (+1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $84,040 | $81,158 (−17.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.