City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 8.5% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $108,500 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, 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 Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Dallas, TX to Lansing, MI ($115,711 → $117,402), while prices change by −7.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.1% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Dallas, TX | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,144 in Lansing | $108,526 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/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 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
95 Strong offer
Lansing, MI → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
44 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Lansing, MI | Real change, Dallas → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $68,081 | +10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $82,372 | +10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $98,729 | +10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $117,402 | +10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $138,734 | +10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $133,610 | $97,540 | $105,856 (−20.8%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $97,120 | $105,401 (−20.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $79,210 | $85,964 (+4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $84,320 | $91,509 (−9.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.