City comparison
Flint, MI vs Hagerstown, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hagerstown, MD are 1.2% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $101,200 in Hagerstown, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $961 a month in Hagerstown, MD versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 15% of take-home pay in Hagerstown, MD and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $387 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.7% moving from Flint, MI to Hagerstown, MD ($117,402 → $121,785), while prices change by +1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Hagerstown, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 94.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,222 in Hagerstown | $98,793 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $961/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 75.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 95.7 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 94.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Hagerstown, MD
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$387/yr.
65 Fair offer
Hagerstown, MD → Flint, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$387/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Hagerstown, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Hagerstown, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Hagerstown, MD | Real change, Flint → Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $70,623 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $85,447 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $102,415 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $121,785 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $143,913 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Hagerstown, MD | Hagerstown pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $63,190 | $62,427 (−4.9%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $122,830 | $121,347 (+19.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $75,250 | $74,341 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $92,770 | $91,650 (−6.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.