City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Utica, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 2.5% higher than in Utica, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Utica, NY would need about $102,500 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 $926 in Utica, NY. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Lansing, MI and 15% in Utica, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $860 a year higher in Utica, 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 Utica, NY ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.1% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Utica, NY: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Utica, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 92.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,565 in Utica | $102,496 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $926/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% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $48,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Utica-Rome, NY MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Utica-Rome, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Utica |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 66.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 131.9 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 92.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Utica, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$860/yr.
77 Strong offer
Utica, NY → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$860/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Utica, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Utica, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Utica, NY | Real change, Lansing → Utica |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Utica, NY | Utica pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $77,010 | $78,932 (+8.2%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $113,390 | $116,220 (+19.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $79,830 | $81,822 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $94,300 | $96,653 (+14.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.