City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 8.7% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $108,700 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 $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Lansing, MI and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,032 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Youngstown, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Youngstown, OH ($117,402 → $111,138), while prices change by −8.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.9% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,002 in Youngstown | $108,693 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.7%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$2,032/yr.
96 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$2,032/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Youngstown, OH | Real change, Lansing → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $64,448 | +2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $77,977 | +2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $93,461 | +2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $111,138 | +2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $131,331 | +2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $72,560 | $78,868 (+8.1%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $107,990 | $117,377 (+20.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $73,080 | $79,433 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $78,680 | $85,520 (+1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.