City comparison
Flint, MI vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, ME are 9.5% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $109,500 in Portland, ME to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,655 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.7% moving from Flint, MI to Portland, ME ($117,402 → $120,548), while prices change by +9.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.2% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,485 in Portland | $91,337 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $56,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Portland, ME
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$1,655/yr.
39 Weak offer
Portland, ME → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,655/yr.
98 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Portland, ME | Real change, Flint → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $69,905 | −6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $84,579 | −6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $101,375 | −6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $120,548 | −6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $142,452 | −6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $77,590 | $103,440 | $94,479 (+21.8%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $128,710 | $117,560 (+15.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $79,790 | $72,878 (−2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $88,470 | $80,806 (−17.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.