City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 2.2% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $102,200 in Rochester, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,256 a month in Rochester, NY versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.7% moving from Lansing, MI to Rochester, NY ($117,402 → $107,182), while prices change by +2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.6% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,152 in Rochester | $97,894 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Rochester, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$860/yr.
62 Fair offer
Rochester, NY → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$860/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Rochester, NY | Real change, Lansing → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,155 | −10.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,202 | −10.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $90,135 | −10.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $107,182 | −10.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $126,657 | −10.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $62,840 | $61,516 (−15.7%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $122,770 | $120,184 (+23.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $80,890 | $79,186 (−0.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $86,570 | $84,746 (+0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.