City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Manchester, NH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 11.2% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $111,200 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,552 a month in Manchester, NH versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Manchester, NH and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Manchester, NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.7% moving from Lansing, MI to Manchester, NH ($117,402 → $120,548), while prices change by +11.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.7% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Manchester, NH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 105.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,228 in Manchester | $89,905 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,552/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (NH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $56,530 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Manchester-Nashua, NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 134.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.7 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 133.5 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 103.7 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 105.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Manchester, NH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
38 Weak offer
Manchester, NH → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Manchester, NH is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Manchester, NH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Manchester, NH | Real change, Lansing → Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $69,905 | −7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $84,579 | −7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $101,375 | −7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $120,548 | −7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $142,452 | −7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Manchester, NH | Manchester pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $73,380 | $65,972 (−9.5%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $162,090 | $145,727 (+50.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $83,660 | $75,215 (−5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $98,600 | $88,646 (+5.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.