City comparison
Flint, MI vs Stockton, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Stockton, CA are 13.0% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $113,000 in Stockton, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,395 a month in Stockton, CA versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Stockton, CA and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Stockton, CA than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Flint, MI to Stockton, CA ($117,402 → $133,060), while prices change by +13.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.3% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Stockton, CA: price level 105.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Stockton, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 105.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,958 in Stockton | $88,529 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,395/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% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $48,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Stockton-Lodi, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Stockton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 115.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 158.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 105.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Stockton, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
38 Weak offer
Stockton, CA → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.0%; 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; Stockton, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Stockton, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Stockton, CA | Real change, Flint → Stockton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $77,161 | +0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $93,358 | +0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $111,896 | +0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $133,060 | +0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $157,236 | +0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Stockton, CA | Stockton pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $97,400 | $86,227 (+31.4%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $138,550 | $122,657 (+20.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $83,570 | $73,983 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $134,580 | $119,142 (+21.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.