City comparison
Flint, MI vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Pittsburgh, PA are 1.8% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $101,800 in Pittsburgh, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,077 a month in Pittsburgh, PA versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Pittsburgh, PA and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $929 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.3% moving from Flint, MI to Pittsburgh, PA ($117,402 → $110,047), while prices change by +1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,760 in Pittsburgh | $98,271 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Pittsburgh, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$929/yr.
63 Fair offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Flint, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$929/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Flint → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $63,815 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $77,211 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $92,543 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $110,047 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $130,042 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $76,550 | $75,226 (+14.6%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $124,500 | $122,347 (+20.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $76,940 | $75,610 (+1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $82,370 | $80,946 (−17.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.