City comparison
Flint, MI vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Flint, MI are 6.1% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $106,100 in Flint, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $972 a month in Tuscaloosa, AL versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Tuscaloosa, AL and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $736 a year higher in Tuscaloosa, AL than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.4% moving from Flint, MI to Tuscaloosa, AL ($117,402 → $107,510), while prices change by −5.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.9% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,290 in Tuscaloosa | $106,055 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$736/yr.
88 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Flint, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$736/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Flint → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,344 | −2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,431 | −2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $90,410 | −2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $107,510 | −2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $127,044 | −2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $60,220 | $63,867 (−2.7%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $104,870 | $111,220 (+9.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $71,690 | $76,031 (+2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $75,250 | $79,807 (−18.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.