What it's like to live in Flint
Flint is a smaller city in Michigan with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Flint deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- Below-average hospital ratings
- High student-teacher ratio
How Flint compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Flint
Based on Flint's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,830
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $36,600 a year
- 52% of Flint renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$10,700
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $5,350
- Homes cost 1.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 35% below US
$915/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $915 a month. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $53,500. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $53,500 · 52% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 219% above US
13.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 13.7%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 233% above US
1097 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 1092/100k · Flint Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 13% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 18°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 2.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 61% below US
14% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
25 public schools inside the boundary
There are 25 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is River Raisin National Battlefield Park (78 miles away).
Bottom line
Flint's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($915/mo) equals 29% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up.
Other places near Flint
All Michigan guides →Not sure Flint is the one?
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