City comparison
Flint, MI vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 24.3% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $124,300 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in San Francisco, 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 San Francisco, CA ($117,402 → $133,060), while prices change by +24.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.8% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,270 in San Francisco | $80,470 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $2,977/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.5%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.3%; 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; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Flint → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $77,161 | −8.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $93,358 | −8.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $111,896 | −8.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $133,060 | −8.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $157,236 | −8.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $101,860 | $81,967 (+24.9%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $186,640 | $150,190 (+47.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $110,730 | $89,105 (+19.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $186,610 | $150,165 (+53.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.