City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 5.6% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $105,600 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,013 a month in El Paso, TX and $1,012 in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from El Paso, TX to Lansing, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.4% in real buying power.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
- 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
| El Paso, TX | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,649 in Lansing | $94,653 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
52 Fair offer
Lansing, MI → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
El Paso, TX 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 El Paso, TX to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Lansing, MI | Real change, El Paso → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | +4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | +4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | +4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | +4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | +4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $72,930 | $69,031 (+8.2%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $97,120 | $91,927 (−27.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $79,210 | $74,975 (+13.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $84,320 | $79,812 (−7.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.