City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 5.6% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $105,600 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,122 a month in Detroit, MI versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Detroit, MI and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- Both are in MI, so estimated state income tax is the same: $3,999 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $117,402 in either. A transfer from Detroit, MI to Lansing, MI changes real buying power by +5.6%, purely from prices.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (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
| Detroit, MI | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,709 in Lansing | $105,587 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
86 Strong offer
Lansing, MI → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Lansing, MI | Real change, Detroit → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $68,081 | +5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $82,372 | +5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $98,729 | +5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $117,402 | +5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $138,734 | +5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $72,930 | $77,004 (+18.1%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $97,120 | $102,546 (−21.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $79,210 | $83,635 (+3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $84,320 | $89,031 (−8.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.