City comparison
Flint, MI vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salem, OR are 11.4% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $111,400 in Salem, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,201 a month in Salem, OR versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Salem, OR and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,921 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.3% moving from Flint, MI to Salem, OR ($117,402 → $114,684), while prices change by +11.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.3% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,410 in Salem | $89,759 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Salem, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,921/yr.
38 Weak offer
Salem, OR → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$3,921/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Salem, OR | Real change, Flint → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $66,505 | −12.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $80,465 | −12.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $96,443 | −12.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $114,684 | −12.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $135,522 | −12.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $74,810 | $67,148 (+2.3%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $131,620 | $118,140 (+16.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $87,480 | $78,521 (+5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $131,750 | $118,257 (+20.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.