City comparison
Flint, MI vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 18.8% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $118,800 in Oxnard, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,250 a month in Oxnard, CA versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.7% moving from Flint, MI to Oxnard, CA ($117,402 → $124,085), while prices change by +18.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.0% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,810 in Oxnard | $84,168 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $2,250/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% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.8%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
20 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Flint → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $71,957 | −11.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $87,061 | −11.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $104,349 | −11.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $124,085 | −11.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $146,632 | −11.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $99,420 | $83,680 (+27.5%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $159,430 | $134,189 (+31.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $90,340 | $76,037 (+2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $131,160 | $110,394 (+12.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.