City comparison
Flint, MI vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 7.3% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $107,300 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,123 a month in Visalia, CA versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Visalia, CA and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.9% moving from Flint, MI to Visalia, CA ($117,402 → $106,973), while prices change by +7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.1% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,299 in Visalia | $93,197 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
47 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Visalia, CA | Real change, Flint → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,033 | −15.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,055 | −15.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,959 | −15.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,973 | −15.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $126,410 | −15.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $98,430 | $91,734 (+39.8%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $126,170 | $117,587 (+15.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $79,400 | $73,998 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $125,180 | $116,664 (+19.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.