City comparison
Flint, MI vs South Bend, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Flint, MI (93.0) and South Bend, IN (92.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Flint, MI goes as far as $99,800 in South Bend, IN.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,105 a month in South Bend, IN versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in South Bend, IN and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,079 a year higher in Flint, MI than in South Bend, IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Flint, MI to South Bend, IN ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.2% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- South Bend, IN: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,811 in South Bend | $100,190 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → South Bend, IN
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,079/yr.
69 Fair offer
South Bend, IN → Flint, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,079/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; South Bend, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | South Bend, IN | Real change, Flint → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −9.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −9.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −9.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −9.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −9.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $58,180 | $58,290 (−11.2%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $95,500 | $95,681 (−6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $77,940 | $78,088 (+4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $93,540 | $93,717 (−4.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.