City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 10.5% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $110,500 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 $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Lansing, MI and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Brownsville, TX to Lansing, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by +10.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.2% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Brownsville, TX | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,487 in Lansing | $90,509 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
39 Weak offer
Lansing, MI → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.5%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Lansing, MI | Real change, Brownsville → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | −0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | −0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | −0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | −0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | −0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $72,930 | $66,008 (+4.2%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $97,120 | $87,902 (−17.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $79,210 | $71,692 (+7.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $84,320 | $76,317 (−5.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.