City comparison
Albany, NY vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Albany, NY are 4.8% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $104,800 in Albany, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,417 a month in Albany, NY versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Albany, NY and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $860 a year higher in Albany, NY than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.9% moving from Albany, NY to Lansing, MI ($109,810 → $117,402), while prices change by −4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.1% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,405 in Lansing | $104,816 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$860/yr.
84 Strong offer
Lansing, MI → Albany, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$860/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Lansing, MI | Real change, Albany → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $68,081 | +12.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $82,372 | +12.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $98,729 | +12.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $117,402 | +12.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $138,734 | +12.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $72,930 | $76,442 (−3.5%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $97,120 | $101,798 (−20.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $79,210 | $83,025 (−1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $84,320 | $88,381 (−11.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.