City comparison
Flint, MI vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 14.4% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $114,400 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.7% moving from Flint, MI to Riverside, CA ($117,402 → $124,085), while prices change by +14.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.6% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,412 in Riverside | $87,403 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,777/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% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.6%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
32 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.4%; 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; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Riverside, CA | Real change, Flint → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $71,957 | −7.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $87,061 | −7.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $104,349 | −7.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $124,085 | −7.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $146,632 | −7.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $98,520 | $86,110 (+31.2%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $133,270 | $116,483 (+14.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $83,920 | $73,349 (−1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $133,940 | $117,068 (+19.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.