City comparison
Lansing, MI vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in York, PA are 1.1% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $101,100 in York, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,012 a month in Lansing, MI and $1,060 in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $929 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.7% moving from Lansing, MI to York, PA ($117,402 → $121,785), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.6% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,062 in York | $98,949 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → York, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$929/yr.
65 Fair offer
York, PA → Lansing, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$929/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | York, PA | Real change, Lansing → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $70,623 | +2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $85,447 | +2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $102,415 | +2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $121,785 | +2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $143,913 | +2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | York, PA | York pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $79,730 | $78,892 (+8.2%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $114,600 | $113,396 (+16.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $75,160 | $74,370 (−6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $96,210 | $95,199 (+12.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.