City comparison
Flint, MI vs Tallahassee, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Flint, MI (93.0) and Tallahassee, FL (93.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Flint, MI goes as far as $101,000 in Tallahassee, FL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,204 a month in Tallahassee, FL versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Tallahassee, FL and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Tallahassee, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Flint, MI to Tallahassee, FL ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.2% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Tallahassee, FL: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Tallahassee, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 93.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,951 in Tallahassee | $99,058 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,204/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $46,520 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Tallahassee, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Tallahassee, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 78.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 87.5 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 93.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Tallahassee, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
66 Fair offer
Tallahassee, FL → Flint, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Tallahassee, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Tallahassee, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Tallahassee, FL | Real change, Flint → Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Tallahassee, FL | Tallahassee pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $55,020 | $54,502 (−16.9%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $121,800 | $120,652 (+18.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $61,840 | $61,257 (−17.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $79,430 | $78,682 (−19.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.