City comparison
Fayetteville, AR vs Flint, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Flint, MI are 1.8% higher than in Fayetteville, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, AR would need about $101,800 in Flint, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,115 a month in Fayetteville, AR versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Fayetteville, AR and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $312 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Fayetteville, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Fayetteville, AR to Flint, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by +1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.3% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, AR: price level 91.4 (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
| Fayetteville, AR | Flint, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.4 | 93.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,840 in Flint | $98,193 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,115/mo | $856/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,610 | $45,880 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR MSA and Flint, MI MSA. Metro areas: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR and Flint, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Flint |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.9 | 74.0 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 75.1 | 97.1 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 91.4 | 93.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, AR → Flint, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$312/yr.
63 Fair offer
Flint, MI → Fayetteville, AR
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$312/yr.
75 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Fayetteville, AR 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 Fayetteville, AR to Flint, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, AR | Flint, MI | Real change, Fayetteville → Flint |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | +8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | +8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | +8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | +8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | +8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, AR | Flint, MI | Flint pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $106,200 | $77,590 | $76,188 (−28.3%) |
| Software Developers | $105,130 | $101,750 | $99,912 (−5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,190 | $74,500 | $73,154 (−5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,910 | $97,780 | $96,013 (+23.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.