City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Allentown, PA are 5.2% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $105,200 in Allentown, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,341 a month in Allentown, PA versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 21% of take-home pay in Allentown, PA and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $929 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Allentown, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.4% moving from Allentown, PA to Lansing, MI ($125,431 → $117,402), while prices change by −5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (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
| Allentown, PA | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,021 in Lansing | $105,239 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$929/yr.
85 Strong offer
Lansing, MI → Allentown, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$929/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Allentown, PA is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Lansing, MI | Real change, Allentown → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $68,081 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $82,372 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $98,729 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $117,402 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $138,734 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $72,930 | $76,751 (−2.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $97,120 | $102,209 (−16.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $79,210 | $83,360 (+6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $84,320 | $88,738 (−12.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.