City comparison
College Station, 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 4.4% higher than in College Station, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in College Station, TX would need about $104,400 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,082 a month in College Station, TX versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in College Station, TX and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in College Station, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from College Station, TX to Lansing, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by +4.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.6% in real buying power.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (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
| College Station, TX | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,442 in Lansing | $95,747 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/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 | 16% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
55 Fair offer
Lansing, MI → College Station, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
College Station, 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 College Station, TX to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | Lansing, MI | Real change, College Station → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | +5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | +5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | +5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | +5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | +5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,870 | $72,930 | $69,828 (+20.7%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $97,120 | $92,989 (−8.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $79,210 | $75,841 (+5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $84,320 | $80,734 (−2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.