City comparison
Flint, MI vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 5.6% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $105,600 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,213 a month in Merced, CA versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Flint, MI to Merced, CA ($117,402 → $133,060), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.3% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,633 in Merced | $94,667 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
52 Fair offer
Merced, CA → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Merced, CA | Real change, Flint → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $77,161 | +7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $93,358 | +7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $111,896 | +7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $133,060 | +7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $157,236 | +7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $100,120 | $94,781 (+44.4%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $132,120 | $125,074 (+22.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $80,420 | $76,131 (+2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $131,620 | $124,601 (+27.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.