$81,279Average Value$73Average Price per Sq Ft1Home For Sale
Thrift City has residential and industrial sections in East Flint
Thrift City in East Flint has a mix of residential and industrial features. Most homes are north of Palmer Avenue, while south of Robert T. Longway Boulevard, there's a concentration of industrial businesses. It's about 5 miles to significant job sites like the General Motors Flint Assembly plant and McLaren Flint hospital. The neighborhood is north of Interstate 69 and adjacent to Burton, a suburb that's the second-largest city in Genesee County.
Small single-family homes with yards are common in Thrift City,
General Motors Flint Assembly, one of the major employers near Thrift City, has produced over 15 million vehicles.
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Homes from the 1950s and '60s; about half are rentals
Housing options include ranch-style homes and bungalows, primarily built in the 1950s and '60s. "It's a lot of single-story houses of about 1,000 square feet or so," says Kevin Flowers, a Realtor with Keller Williams First. Homes under 750 square feet outnumber those approaching 1,500 square feet. Prices are about $20,000 to $80,000. Flowers says Flint is more affordable than neighboring cities. "And even when people buy houses in Flint and fix them up, it's not like they are going to some extravagant price afterward," Flowers says. Close to half the neighborhood residents are renters, mostly occupying single-family homes.
Most homes in Thrift City are single-story.
Houses dating back to the 1950s and '60s are more common than new builds in Thrift City.
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Bus stops, a transit hub and an airport that's 7 miles away
Streets are walkable, with sidewalks; many homes have driveways and garages. Flint's Mass Transit Authority (MTA) buses stop on roads like Averill Avenue, East Court Street and Center Road. From the Mass Transit Authority Intermodal Center, also known as Flint Station, riders can connect to MTA routes, Indian Trails buses and Amtrak trains. Bishop International Airport, about 7 miles to the southwest, has service on Allegiant Air, United Airlines and American Airlines.
MTA buses serve Thrift City residents.
Indian Trails buses provide long distance transit options for residents of Thrift City.
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Davison Road restaurants, a thrift store outlet and a mall
Davison Road, in the north part of the neighborhood, has restaurants like Aldo's Coney Island, which has American classics for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Yanni's OPA Bar and Grill is known for its karaoke nights. Those hoping Thrift City lives up to its name in terms of shopping might visit the Goodwill Mid-Michigan Outlet on South Averill Avenue. The outlet sells clothing, household goods and other items by the pound.
Courtland Center is a nearby mall in Burton, to the southeast. It has some businesses, including JCPenney and El Cozumel Mexican Grill, though others, like Courtland Cinemas, have closed in recent years. Business closures are part of the ongoing economic challenges in Flint. Big-name stores in the area include The Home Depot, Harbor Freight and Aldi.
Aldo's Coney Island is the only remaining 24/7 dine-in diner in Flint.
Locals thrift at the Goodwill Mid-Michigan Outlet in Thrift City.
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Playgrounds, sports and tree planting in the parks
Polk Park, a pocket park corner of Earlmoor Boulevard and Brewster Avenue, has a playground and is within walking distance of many homes. About a mile north of Polk Park is the much larger Longway Park, with open fields that the Flint Rogues Rugby Football Club uses. For indoor competition and family fun, there's B's Bowling on South Center Road.
To the south, close to I-69, is Cook Park, which has a playground and basketball courts. The park has been a participation site for Stewardship Day, a community cleanup in collaboration with the Flint Watershed Coalition and Keep Genesse Beautiful. Other events at the park have included a basketball tournament and a school-supply giveaway. In the spring of 2025, Area 7 Rotary Clubs and the Flint River Watershed Coalition included Cook Park in a tree-planting initiative.
Polk Park is a small community park with a playground for local children.
The open spaces at Cook Park are used in a variety of ways by residents of the neighborhood.
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Events at the Dort Financial Center and the Flint Farmers' Market
Also close by, south of I-69, is the Dort Financial Center, a sports and entertainment complex with a capacity of over 4,400. Events at Dort include comic cons, wrestling matches and kids' shows, such as CoComelon: Sing-A-Long Live. Flint Firebirds, a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, has its home base here.
The Flint Farmers' Market, in downtown Flint, about 3 miles west, is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Among its specialty markets are the Flint Handmade Spring Craft Market in April, Pavilion Opening Day in May and the Christmas in July Night Market.
Thrift City is minutes from the many concerts and sporting events at Dort Financial Center.
Downtown Flint's Farmers Market has been running regularly since the 1900s.
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Education options include the Flint Community Schools district
Kids may attend Potter Elementary School, which earns a D-plus from Niche, and Holmes STEM Middle School Academy, which has a 2 out of 10 rating from GreatSchools. Both schools had renovations completed in 2024, including new roofs and classrooms. At the high school level, Flint Southwestern Classical Academy is an authorized International Baccalaureate World School with a C. Flint Community Schools district's Schools of Choice program is available by application. Another option for third through eighth graders is Richfield Public School Academy, a charter school with a C-minus grade.
Potter School has an overall D+ on school ratings site Niche.com.
Holmes STEM Academy offers studies for junior high students in Flint.
Flint Southwestern Classical Academy offers students a dynamic learning environment.
Over 300 students attend Richfield Public School Academy.
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Flint satisfies requirements of the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act
In May 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Flint had completed all the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Act requirements, and the emergency order instated in 2016 was lifted. In the years leading up to this announcement, EPA and other agencies had recommended that residents continue using water filters.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
On average, homes in Thrift City, Flint sell after 39 days on the market compared to the national average of 52 days. The median sale price for homes in Thrift City, Flint over the last 12 months is $64,900, up 55% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Completley refreshed home ideally situated on a spacious corner lot! This 2 Bed, 1 Bath home has been updated top to bottom, offering a seamless blend of modern amenities and classic appeal.
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
