City comparison
Flint, MI vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 16.7% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $116,700 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, 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 San Luis Obispo, CA ($117,402 → $124,085), while prices change by +16.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.5% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (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 Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,727 in San Luis Obispo | $85,670 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,914/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% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.3%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.7%; 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 Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Flint → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $71,957 | −9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $87,061 | −9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $104,349 | −9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $124,085 | −9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $146,632 | −9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $97,620 | $83,631 (+27.4%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $135,020 | $115,671 (+13.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $88,160 | $75,527 (+1.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $138,820 | $118,927 (+21.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.