City comparison
Flint, MI vs Syracuse, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Syracuse, NY are 2.9% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $102,900 in Syracuse, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,123 a month in Syracuse, NY versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Syracuse, NY and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $860 a year higher in Syracuse, NY than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Flint, MI to Syracuse, NY ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.9% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Syracuse, NY: price level 95.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Syracuse, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 95.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,911 in Syracuse | $97,172 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $52,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Syracuse, NY MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Syracuse, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 80.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 133.4 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 95.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Syracuse, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$860/yr.
60 Fair offer
Syracuse, NY → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$860/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Syracuse, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Syracuse, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Syracuse, NY | Real change, Flint → Syracuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −11.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −11.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −11.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −11.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −11.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Syracuse, NY | Syracuse pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $78,560 | $76,338 (+16.3%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $129,100 | $125,448 (+23.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $82,230 | $79,904 (+7.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $86,960 | $84,500 (−13.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.