City comparison
Flint, MI vs San Diego, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 20.3% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $120,300 in San Diego, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,459 a month in San Diego, CA versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.6% moving from Flint, MI to San Diego, CA ($117,402 → $121,585), while prices change by +20.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.9% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,265 in San Diego | $83,150 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $2,459/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% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.9%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.3%; 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; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | San Diego, CA | Real change, Flint → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $70,507 | −13.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $85,307 | −13.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $102,246 | −13.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $121,585 | −13.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $143,677 | −13.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $97,000 | $80,655 (+22.9%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $163,270 | $135,759 (+33.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $96,340 | $80,107 (+7.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $139,520 | $116,011 (+18.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.