City profile · Michigan · Census ACS 2023

Flint, MI

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Flint - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

80,835
Residents
$36,194
Median income
$47,600
Median home
$1,033
Median rent (state)

Flint - the verdict

Flint ranks in the 5th percentile for household income and the 21st percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

5th
percentile, household income
0th
percentile, home value
22nd
percentile, median rent
21st
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Flint, MI

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 80,835 residents in Flint, a small city within Michigan. Median household income here is $36,194 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 26.9%. Home values in Flint run a median of $47,600, and the median resident age is 36.2 years. 13.1% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 45.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 1 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 97% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2570.0 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, near the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 47.5°F with 32.9 inches of precipitation per year and 40.4 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in Michigan run below the national norm: the state registers 96.2 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,033 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $238 across Michigan, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Workers in Flint report an average commute of 21.0 minutes, with 71.6% driving alone and 8.3% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 92.2 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

80,835 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Michigan

Median Household Income

$36,194 /yr

Poverty 26.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

96.2 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Michigan average

How does Flint compare to other US cities?

Flint measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 5% higher than other cities
Home value 0% pricier than other cities
Median rent 22% pricier than other cities
Safety 21% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Michigan alone, Flint ranks #210 of 254 Michigan cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Flint's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Michigan, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

5thIncome percentile
21stSafety percentile

5th percentile nationally for median household income · 21st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Flint's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Flint's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 38 Avg. percentile National median
Flint's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Flint's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$47,600 Among the most affordable more affordable than 100% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Flint $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Flint, MI Flint, MI's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Flint, MI-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Flint, MI median $36,194/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Flint, MI's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Flint, MI. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 13.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 26.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 45.3%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
80,835
Median Income
$36,194
Median Home Value
$47,600
Median Age
36.2
Poverty Rate
26.9%
Labor force participation
45.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
13.1%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2570.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
1257.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1312.2
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
47.5°F
Annual Precipitation
32.9"
Annual Snowfall
40.4"

Schools

Total Schools
50
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
79,000 residents80,000 residents81,000 residents82,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 81,097 residents 79,306 residents ▼ -2.2%
Flint's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 33
2020 0
2021 0
2022 48
2023 122
2024 1

Permit volume decreased 97% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
21.0 minutes
Drive Alone
71.6%
Carpool
13.1%
Public Transit
4.0%
Walk
2.2%
Work from Home
8.3%
Other
0.8%

Based on 27,889 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Michigan - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$105
avg/month
Natural Gas
$85
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$238
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Michigan state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Michigan state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Flint sits in

Cost of Living Index
96.2
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,033/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
92.2 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Michigan

Farmington Hills
83,316 people
Westland
84,155 people
Wyoming
76,865 people
Rochester Hills
76,086 people
Southfield
76,025 people
Troy
87,307 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Flint's 80,835 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Homestead, FL
80,725 people
Rancho Cordova, CA
80,656 people
Lehi, UT
81,039 people
Frederick, MD
80,617 people
Boynton Beach, FL
80,601 people
Somerville, MA
80,549 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Flint's $36,194 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Welch, WV
$36,188 median income
Wheeler, IN
$36,184 median income
Elton, LA
$36,211 median income
Wabbaseka, AR
$36,174 median income
Brighton, AL
$36,219 median income
Atlantic City, NJ
$36,220 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Flint, MI Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Flint, MI - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 34.5% 56.6% 6.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4.5% White 34.5% Black or African American 56.6% Asian 0.6% American Indian 0.4% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.0% Two or more races 6.9% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Flint compares to nearby Michigan cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Flint (this city) 80,835 $36,194
Farmington Hills 83,316 $101,863
Westland 84,155 $62,216
Wyoming 76,865 $72,163
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MI FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Flint, MI?

What is the population of Flint, MI? +

The population of Flint, MI stands at 80,835 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Flint, MI? +

Flint households earn a median of $36,194 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Flint? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Flint; the closest available measure is the Michigan state average, a cost of living index of 96.2 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Michigan vary by metro area.

Is Flint, MI safe? +

Flint has a total crime rate of 2570.0 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Flint, MI? +

Homes in Flint carry a median value of $47,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Flint? +

Flint has an average annual temperature of 47.5°F, 32.9 inches of precipitation, and 40.4 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.