City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Spartanburg, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 4.3% higher than in Spartanburg, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Spartanburg, SC would need about $104,300 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,083 a month in Spartanburg, SC versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Spartanburg, SC and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $844 a year higher in Spartanburg, SC than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Spartanburg, SC ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.4% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Spartanburg, SC: price level 91.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Spartanburg, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,852 in Spartanburg | $104,327 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,083/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $47,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Spartanburg, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 68.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Spartanburg, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$844/yr.
82 Strong offer
Spartanburg, SC → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$844/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Spartanburg, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Spartanburg, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Spartanburg, SC | Real change, Lansing → Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $60,990 | $63,629 (−12.8%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $114,460 | $119,413 (+23.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $77,080 | $80,415 (+1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $82,360 | $85,924 (+1.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.