City comparison
Flint, MI vs Winston, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Flint, MI are 1.1% higher than in Winston, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Winston, NC would need about $101,100 in Flint, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,082 a month in Winston, NC versus $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Winston, NC and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $518 a year higher in Flint, MI than in Winston, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Flint, MI to Winston, NC ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.4% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
- Winston, NC: price level 92.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Flint, MI | Winston, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,935 in Winston | $101,077 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $1,082/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $46,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Winston-Salem, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Winston-Salem, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Winston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 71.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 88.4 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Winston, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$518/yr.
72 Strong offer
Winston, NC → Flint, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$518/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Winston, NC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Winston, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Winston, NC | Real change, Flint → Winston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Winston, NC | Winston pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $56,510 | $57,118 (−13.0%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $124,130 | $125,466 (+23.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $78,950 | $79,800 (+7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $86,120 | $87,047 (−11.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.