City comparison
Flint, MI vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Flint, MI are 1.2% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $101,200 in Flint, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,148 a month in Omaha, NE versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $329 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.4% moving from Flint, MI to Omaha, NE ($117,402 → $107,501), while prices change by −1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.3% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,793 in Omaha | $101,222 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Omaha, NE
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$329/yr.
73 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Flint, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$329/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Omaha, NE | Real change, Flint → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,339 | −7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,425 | −7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $90,402 | −7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $107,501 | −7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $127,033 | −7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $62,670 | $63,436 (−3.3%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $125,220 | $126,750 (+24.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $77,030 | $77,971 (+4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $84,600 | $85,634 (−12.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.