City comparison
Flint, MI is about 50 miles (70 km) from Sterling Heights, MI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 57 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Flint, MI to Sterling Heights, MI takes about 5 min, covering roughly 50 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Sterling Heights has a population of 133,744, vs 81,863 in Flint — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Sterling Heights covers about 36 sq mi vs 33 sq mi for Flint.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Flint | Sterling Heights | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $825/mo | $1,215/mo | 47.3% higher in Sterling Heights |
| Median home value | $43,300 | $243,400 | 462.1% higher in Sterling Heights |
| Median household income | $35,451 | $75,381 | 112.6% higher in Sterling Heights |
| Groceries index | 93.9 | 98.6 | 4.9% higher in Sterling Heights |
| Utilities index | 96.6 | 105.6 | 9.3% higher in Sterling Heights |
| Transportation index | 99.3 | 102.1 | 2.8% higher in Sterling Heights |
| Healthcare index | 99.5 | 102.3 | 2.8% higher in Sterling Heights |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Flint, you'd need $113,297 in Sterling Heights to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Flint, MI is about 11.7% cheaper overall than Sterling Heights, MI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 29% higher in Sterling Heights than in Flint. If you earn $80,000 in Flint, you'd need about $90,638 in Sterling Heights to keep the same standard of living.