City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Syracuse, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Lansing, MI (95.0) and Syracuse, NY (95.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Lansing, MI goes as far as $100,800 in Syracuse, NY.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,123 a month in Syracuse, NY versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Syracuse, NY and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $860 a year higher in Syracuse, NY than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Syracuse, NY ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.1% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Syracuse, NY: price level 95.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Syracuse, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 95.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,791 in Syracuse | $99,216 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,123/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $52,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Syracuse, NY MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Syracuse, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 80.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 133.4 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 95.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Syracuse, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −0.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$860/yr.
66 Fair offer
Syracuse, NY → Lansing, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$860/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Syracuse, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Syracuse, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Syracuse, NY | Real change, Lansing → Syracuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Syracuse, NY | Syracuse pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $78,560 | $77,944 (+6.9%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $129,100 | $128,087 (+31.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $82,230 | $81,585 (+3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $86,960 | $86,278 (+2.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.