City comparison
Albany, NY vs Flint, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Albany, NY are 7.0% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $107,000 in Albany, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,417 a month in Albany, NY versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Albany, NY and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $860 a year higher in Albany, NY than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.9% moving from Albany, NY to Flint, MI ($109,810 → $117,402), while prices change by −6.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.4% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | Flint, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 93.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,440 in Flint | $107,021 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $856/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $45,880 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Flint, MI MSA. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Flint, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Flint |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 74.0 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 97.1 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 93.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$860/yr.
91 Strong offer
Flint, MI → Albany, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$860/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Flint, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Flint, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Flint, MI | Real change, Albany → Flint |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $68,081 | +14.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $82,372 | +14.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $98,729 | +14.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $117,402 | +14.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $138,734 | +14.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Flint, MI | Flint pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $65,620 | $70,227 (−11.4%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $101,750 | $108,894 (−14.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $74,500 | $79,731 (−5.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $97,780 | $104,645 (+4.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.