City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Flint, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Flint, MI are 2.5% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $102,500 in Flint, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,064 a month in Baton Rouge, LA versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Baton Rouge, LA and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,386 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Flint, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.6% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Flint, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 93.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,483 in Flint | $97,577 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $856/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $45,880 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Flint, MI MSA. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Flint, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Flint |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 74.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 97.1 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 93.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Flint, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,386/yr.
61 Fair offer
Flint, MI → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,386/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Flint, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Flint, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Flint, MI | Real change, Baton Rouge → Flint |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | +7.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | +7.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | +7.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | +7.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | +7.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Flint, MI | Flint pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $65,620 | $64,030 (+8.0%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $101,750 | $99,285 (−2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $74,500 | $72,695 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $97,780 | $95,411 (+17.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.