City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Buffalo, NY (95.8) and Lansing, MI (95.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Buffalo, NY goes as far as $99,100 in Lansing, MI.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,139 a month in Buffalo, NY versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Buffalo, NY and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $860 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.5% moving from Buffalo, NY to Lansing, MI ($111,301 → $117,402), while prices change by −0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.4% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (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
| Buffalo, NY | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,110 in Lansing | $100,898 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/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 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Lansing, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$860/yr.
72 Strong offer
Lansing, MI → Buffalo, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$860/yr.
66 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Lansing, MI | Real change, Buffalo → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $68,081 | +6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $82,372 | +6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $98,729 | +6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $117,402 | +6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $138,734 | +6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $72,930 | $73,585 (−3.8%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $97,120 | $97,992 (−23.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $79,210 | $79,921 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $84,320 | $85,077 (−14.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.