City comparison
Houston, TX vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 3.8% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $103,800 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Houston, TX to Lansing, MI ($122,749 → $117,402), while prices change by −3.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (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
| Houston, TX | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,311 in Lansing | $103,830 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/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 | 20% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
81 Strong offer
Lansing, MI → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Lansing, MI | Real change, Houston → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $68,081 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $82,372 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $98,729 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $117,402 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $138,734 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $72,930 | $75,723 (+17.4%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $97,120 | $100,840 (−22.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $79,210 | $82,244 (−3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $84,320 | $87,549 (−12.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.