City comparison
Flint, MI vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 4.2% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $104,200 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,708 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.6% moving from Flint, MI to Tucson, AZ ($117,402 → $108,455), while prices change by +4.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.3% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,151 in Tucson | $96,014 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,708/yr.
56 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,708/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Flint → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,893 | −11.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $76,095 | −11.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $91,205 | −11.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $108,455 | −11.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $128,162 | −11.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $47,220 | $45,338 (−30.9%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $123,710 | $118,779 (+16.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $76,320 | $73,278 (−1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $94,110 | $90,359 (−7.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.