City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Lincoln, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 3.7% higher than in Lincoln, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Lincoln, NE would need about $103,700 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,012 a month in Lansing, MI versus $926 in Lincoln, NE. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Lansing, MI and 15% in Lincoln, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $329 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Lincoln, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Lincoln, NE ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Lincoln, NE: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Lincoln, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 91.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,410 in Lincoln | $103,723 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $926/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $49,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Lincoln, NE HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Lincoln, NE.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Lincoln |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 84.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 76.8 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 91.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Lincoln, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$329/yr.
80 Strong offer
Lincoln, NE → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$329/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Lincoln, NE is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Lincoln, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Lincoln, NE | Real change, Lansing → Lincoln |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Lincoln, NE | Lincoln pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $61,940 | $64,246 (−11.9%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $101,690 | $105,476 (+8.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $65,170 | $67,597 (−14.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $87,530 | $90,789 (+7.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.