City comparison
Flint, MI vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 6.0% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $106,000 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Flint, MI to Houston, TX ($117,402 → $122,749), while prices change by +6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,014 in Houston | $94,327 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
51 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Houston, TX | Real change, Flint → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $71,181 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $86,123 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $103,225 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $122,749 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $145,052 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $64,500 | $60,841 (−7.3%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $129,440 | $122,097 (+20.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $85,090 | $80,263 (+7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $99,830 | $94,167 (−3.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.