City comparison
Flint, MI vs Wilmington, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Wilmington, NC are 3.6% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $103,600 in Wilmington, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,513 a month in Wilmington, NC versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Wilmington, NC and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $518 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Wilmington, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Flint, MI to Wilmington, NC ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.5% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Wilmington, NC: price level 96.4 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Wilmington, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 96.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,642 in Wilmington | $96,486 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,513/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $45,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Wilmington, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Wilmington, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Wilmington |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 93.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 87.9 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 96.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Wilmington, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$518/yr.
58 Fair offer
Wilmington, NC → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$518/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Wilmington, NC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Wilmington, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Wilmington, NC | Real change, Flint → Wilmington |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −12.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −12.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −12.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −12.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −12.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Wilmington, NC | Wilmington pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $48,240 | $46,545 (−29.1%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $123,730 | $119,382 (+17.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $77,920 | $75,182 (+0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $80,970 | $78,125 (−20.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.