Places › Michigan › Flint

Living in Flint, MI

Small city in Michigan

Flint is a small city in Michigan, home to about 81,000 people, with 328,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly houses.

Is Flint a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $70k and rents for $1,270 a month
  • Mild summers: highs around 80°F
  • Low natural disaster risk: 1 federally declared disaster since 2000
  • Dog-friendly: 4 dog parks within 9 mi

👎 Cons

  • Fewer graduates: 13% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Cloudier than most places
  • Smaller job market: about 328,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Flint ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
81,000
328,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
33°F / 80°F
Average daily highs · 40″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$70k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,270/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
93
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$1,246
State income tax per resident · 2.25% property tax
Safety
2.1× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
1 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, tornadoes
Top-rated hospitals
0
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
13%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
DTW
58 mi away

Living in Flint: common questions

What is the cost of living in Flint?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $70k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,270 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 93, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Flint?

Michigan collects about $1,246 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 2.25% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Flint safe?

Violent crime is well above the national rate (2.1× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in Flint?

Flint has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 33°F and summer days around 80°F, with roughly 40″ of snow a year.

Does Flint get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding, tornadoes and cold waves: 1 federally declared disaster has hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.77 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Flint?

The nearest major airport is DTW, about 58 mi away.

How Flint scores

Each bar compares Flint with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City size Small city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quiet Suburban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting around Mostly walkable Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or nature Nature nearby Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️Climate Long, snowy winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of living Very affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Relaxed Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Private AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Mostly houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Excellent
💸Low taxes Below average
💼Job market Below average
🏥Healthcare Below average
🎓Education Poor
🧸Kids & family Average
🐕Dog-friendly Good
⛰️Outdoors Good
🎭Culture Below average
🛡️Safety Moderate crime
🌪️Few natural disasters Excellent
☀️Sunny Poor
🌤️Mild summers Excellent
✈️Airport Good

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Is Flint right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.