City comparison
Flint, MI vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 7.2% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $107,200 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 14% in Flint, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $3,925 in CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.8% moving from Flint, MI to Waterbury, CT ($117,402 → $125,431), while prices change by +7.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.4% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Waterbury, CT: 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 | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,249 in Waterbury | $93,241 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$74/yr.
48 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$74/yr.
91 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Flint → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $72,737 | −0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $88,005 | −0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $105,481 | −0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $125,431 | −0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $148,222 | −0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $77,590 | $126,810 | $118,239 (+52.4%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $131,290 | $122,416 (+20.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $93,010 | $86,723 (+16.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $101,690 | $94,817 (−3.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.