City comparison
Lancaster, PA vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 3.4% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $103,400 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $929 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.1% moving from Lancaster, PA to Lansing, MI ($108,592 → $117,402), while prices change by −3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.8% in real buying power.
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (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
| Lancaster, PA | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,676 in Lansing | $103,438 in Lancaster |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,220/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,210 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Lancaster, PA MSA and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Lancaster, PA and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lancaster | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.8 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 107.3 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lancaster, PA → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$929/yr.
79 Strong offer
Lansing, MI → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$929/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lancaster, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Lancaster, PA to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lancaster, PA | Lansing, MI | Real change, Lancaster → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $68,081 | +11.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $82,372 | +11.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $98,729 | +11.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $117,402 | +11.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $138,734 | +11.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lancaster, PA | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Lancaster dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,360 | $72,930 | $75,437 (−3.7%) |
| Software Developers | $104,740 | $97,120 | $100,459 (−4.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,110 | $79,210 | $81,933 (+7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | $84,320 | $87,219 (−2.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.