City comparison
Flint, MI vs Utica, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Flint, MI (93.0) and Utica, NY (92.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Flint, MI goes as far as $99,600 in Utica, NY.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $926 a month in Utica, NY versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Utica, NY and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $860 a year higher in Utica, 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 Utica, NY ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.0% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Utica, NY: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Utica, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 92.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,617 in Utica | $100,384 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $926/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% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $48,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Utica-Rome, NY MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Utica-Rome, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Utica |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 66.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 131.9 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 92.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Utica, NY
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$860/yr.
70 Fair offer
Utica, NY → Flint, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$860/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Utica, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Utica, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Utica, NY | Real change, Flint → Utica |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Utica, NY | Utica pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $77,010 | $77,306 (+17.8%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $113,390 | $113,826 (+11.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $79,830 | $80,137 (+7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $94,300 | $94,662 (−3.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.