City comparison
Flint, MI vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 2.2% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $102,200 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $995 a month in St. Louis, MO versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in St. Louis, MO and 14% in Flint, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $3,763 in MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.0% moving from Flint, MI to St. Louis, MO ($117,402 → $109,137), while prices change by +2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.0% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,208 in St. Louis | $97,840 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$237/yr.
62 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$237/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Flint → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $63,288 | −9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $76,573 | −9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $91,779 | −9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $109,137 | −9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $128,967 | −9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $60,650 | $59,340 (−9.6%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $129,030 | $126,243 (+24.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $78,880 | $77,176 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $83,180 | $81,383 (−16.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.