City comparison
Flint, MI vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Flint, MI (93.0) and Scranton, PA (93.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Flint, MI goes as far as $100,600 in Scranton, PA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,028 a month in Scranton, PA versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Scranton, PA and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $929 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Flint, MI to Scranton, PA ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.8% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,561 in Scranton | $99,442 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Scranton, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$929/yr.
67 Fair offer
Scranton, PA → Flint, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$929/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Scranton, PA | Real change, Flint → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −9.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −9.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −9.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −9.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −9.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $76,590 | $76,163 (+16.1%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $119,960 | $119,291 (+17.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $70,480 | $70,087 (−5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $82,650 | $82,189 (−15.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.