City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boise City, ID are 3.6% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $103,600 in Boise City, ID to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,192 a year in ID and $3,999 in MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Boise City, ID to Lansing, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by −3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.2% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boise City, ID | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,544 in Lansing | $103,579 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$192/yr.
80 Strong offer
Lansing, MI → Boise City, ID
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$192/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Lansing, MI | Real change, Boise City → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | +14.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | +14.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | +14.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | +14.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | +14.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $72,930 | $75,540 (+23.4%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $97,120 | $100,596 (−23.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $79,210 | $82,045 (+7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $84,320 | $87,338 (−10.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.