City comparison
Flint, MI vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 7.9% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $107,900 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.9% moving from Flint, MI to Spokane, WA ($117,402 → $106,991), while prices change by +7.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.5% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,859 in Spokane | $92,713 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
46 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Spokane, WA | Real change, Flint → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,044 | −15.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,068 | −15.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,974 | −15.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,991 | −15.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $126,432 | −15.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $98,800 | $91,601 (+39.6%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $130,690 | $121,167 (+19.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $86,350 | $80,058 (+7.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $111,750 | $103,607 (+6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.