City comparison
Austin, TX vs Flint, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 5.4% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $105,400 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.3% moving from Austin, TX to Flint, MI ($109,428 → $117,402), while prices change by −5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.1% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (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
| Austin, TX | Flint, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 93.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,869 in Flint | $105,409 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $856/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $45,880 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Flint, MI MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Flint, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Flint |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 74.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 97.1 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 93.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
86 Strong offer
Flint, MI → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Flint, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Flint, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Flint, MI | Real change, Austin → Flint |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $68,081 | +13.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $82,372 | +13.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $98,729 | +13.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $117,402 | +13.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $138,734 | +13.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Flint, MI | Flint pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $65,620 | $69,169 (+12.9%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $101,750 | $107,253 (−20.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $74,500 | $78,530 (−5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $97,780 | $103,069 (+5.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.