City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 5.3% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $105,300 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $568 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.3% moving from Atlanta, GA to Lansing, MI ($112,556 → $117,402), while prices change by −5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.9% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (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
| Atlanta, GA | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,936 in Lansing | $105,334 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$568/yr.
85 Strong offer
Lansing, MI → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$568/yr.
50 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Lansing, MI | Real change, Atlanta → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $68,081 | +9.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $82,372 | +9.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $98,729 | +9.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $117,402 | +9.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $138,734 | +9.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $131,490 | $97,540 | $102,743 (−21.9%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $97,120 | $102,301 (−23.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $79,210 | $83,435 (−2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $84,320 | $88,818 (−11.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.