City comparison
Cape Coral, FL vs Flint, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cape Coral, FL are 10.0% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $110,000 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Cape Coral, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Cape Coral, FL to Flint, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by −9.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +21.3% in real buying power.
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (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
| Cape Coral, FL | Flint, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.3 | 93.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,899 in Flint | $110,012 in Cape Coral |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,638/mo | $856/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,780 | $45,880 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA and Flint, MI MSA. Metro areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL and Flint, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cape Coral | Flint |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 74.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 86.9 | 97.1 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 102.3 | 93.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cape Coral, FL → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
100 Strong offer
Flint, MI → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
40 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cape Coral, FL 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 Cape Coral, FL to Flint, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cape Coral, FL | Flint, MI | Real change, Cape Coral → Flint |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | +21.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | +21.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | +21.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | +21.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | +21.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cape Coral, FL | Flint, MI | Flint pay in Cape Coral dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,470 | $65,620 | $72,190 (+19.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,940 | $101,750 | $111,938 (−11.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,420 | $74,500 | $81,959 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,860 | $97,780 | $107,570 (+29.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.