City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 3.6% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $103,600 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,109 a month in Des Moines, IA versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Des Moines, IA and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $851 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.4% moving from Des Moines, IA to Lansing, MI ($107,301 → $117,402), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.6% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (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
| Des Moines, IA | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,588 in Lansing | $96,537 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$851/yr.
58 Fair offer
Lansing, MI → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$851/yr.
80 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Lansing, MI | Real change, Des Moines → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $68,081 | +5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $82,372 | +5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $98,729 | +5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $117,402 | +5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $138,734 | +5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $123,740 | $97,540 | $94,162 (−23.9%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $97,120 | $93,756 (−25.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $79,210 | $76,467 (−3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $84,320 | $81,400 (+3.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.