City comparison
Green Bay, WI vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 2.0% higher than in Green Bay, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Green Bay, WI would need about $102,000 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,012 a month in Lansing, MI versus $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Lansing, MI and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,919 a year in WI and $3,999 in MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Green Bay, WI to Lansing, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by +2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.1% in real buying power.
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (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
| Green Bay, WI | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,046 in Lansing | $97,995 in Green Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $931/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,940 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Green Bay, WI and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Green Bay | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.7 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 90.0 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Green Bay, WI → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$80/yr.
62 Fair offer
Lansing, MI → Green Bay, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$80/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Green Bay, WI 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 Green Bay, WI to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Green Bay, WI | Lansing, MI | Real change, Green Bay → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | +8.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | +8.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | +8.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | +8.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | +8.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Green Bay, WI | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Green Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,600 | $72,930 | $71,467 (+17.9%) |
| Software Developers | $103,160 | $97,120 | $95,172 (−7.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,720 | $79,210 | $77,621 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,700 | $84,320 | $82,629 (−2.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.