City comparison
Flint, MI vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 11.4% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $111,400 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Flint, MI to Olympia, WA ($117,402 → $119,630), while prices change by +11.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.6% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,432 in Olympia | $89,741 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
37 Weak offer
Olympia, WA → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Olympia, WA | Real change, Flint → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $69,373 | −8.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $83,935 | −8.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $100,602 | −8.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $119,630 | −8.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $141,367 | −8.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $104,650 | $93,913 (+43.1%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $124,060 | $111,332 (+9.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $94,470 | $84,778 (+13.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $125,020 | $112,194 (+14.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.