City comparison
Flint, MI vs Kansas City, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Flint, MI (93.0) and Kansas City, MO (92.5, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Flint, MI goes as far as $99,500 in Kansas City, MO.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,197 a month in Kansas City, MO versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kansas City, MO and 14% in Flint, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $3,763 in MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.9% moving from Flint, MI to Kansas City, MO ($117,402 → $108,173), while prices change by −0.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.4% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Kansas City, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 92.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,472 in Kansas City | $100,531 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,197/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $50,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Kansas City, MO-KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 93.4 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 92.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Kansas City, MO
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$237/yr.
70 Strong offer
Kansas City, MO → Flint, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$237/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Kansas City, MO is in Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Kansas City, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Kansas City, MO | Real change, Flint → Kansas City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,729 | −7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,897 | −7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $90,968 | −7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $108,173 | −7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $127,829 | −7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Kansas City, MO | Kansas City pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $61,060 | $61,384 (−6.5%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $124,990 | $125,653 (+23.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $80,040 | $80,465 (+8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $83,040 | $83,481 (−14.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.