City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Flint, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 12.3% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $112,300 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $387 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.6% moving from Baltimore, MD to Flint, MI ($121,785 → $117,402), while prices change by −11.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.3% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | Flint, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 93.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,039 in Flint | $112,311 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $856/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $45,880 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Flint, MI MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Flint, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Flint |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 74.0 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 97.1 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 93.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$387/yr.
100 Strong offer
Flint, MI → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$387/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Flint, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Flint, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Flint, MI | Real change, Baltimore → Flint |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $68,081 | +8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $82,372 | +8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $98,729 | +8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $117,402 | +8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $138,734 | +8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Flint, MI | Flint pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $65,620 | $73,698 (−3.5%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $101,750 | $114,276 (−17.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $74,500 | $83,671 (−1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $97,780 | $109,817 (+10.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.