City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Lexington, KY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 2.3% higher than in Lexington, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Lexington, KY would need about $102,300 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,079 a month in Lexington, KY versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Lexington, KY and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $617 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Lexington, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Lexington, KY ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.3% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Lexington, KY: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Lexington, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,787 in Lexington | $102,263 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,079/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,798 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,382 (KY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $48,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Lexington-Fayette, KY MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Lexington-Fayette, KY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Lexington |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 77.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 74.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.9 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Lexington, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$617/yr.
76 Strong offer
Lexington, KY → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$617/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Lexington, KY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Lexington, KY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Lexington, KY | Real change, Lansing → Lexington |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Lexington, KY | Lexington pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $61,460 | $62,851 (−13.8%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $123,510 | $126,305 (+30.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $77,780 | $79,540 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $79,040 | $80,829 (−4.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.