City comparison
Lansing, MI vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 10.6% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $110,600 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,012 a month in Lansing, MI versus $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Lansing, MI and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Lansing, MI to McAllen, TX ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.3% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,424 in McAllen | $110,590 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
100 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
39 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; McAllen, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | McAllen, TX | Real change, Lansing → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | +0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | +0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | +0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | +0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | +0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $63,110 | $69,793 (−4.3%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $116,120 | $128,417 (+32.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $64,470 | $71,297 (−10.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $80,540 | $89,069 (+5.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.