City comparison
Flint, MI vs Las Vegas, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 7.7% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $107,700 in Las Vegas, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Las Vegas, NV versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.4% moving from Flint, MI to Las Vegas, NV ($117,402 → $108,719), while prices change by +7.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.0% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,719 in Las Vegas | $92,834 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
46 Fair offer
Las Vegas, NV → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Flint → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $63,046 | −14.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $76,280 | −14.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $91,427 | −14.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $108,719 | −14.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $128,473 | −14.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $65,040 | $60,379 (−8.0%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $129,940 | $120,629 (+18.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $80,530 | $74,760 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $103,940 | $96,492 (−1.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.