City comparison
Gainesville, FL vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Gainesville, FL are 1.8% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $101,800 in Gainesville, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,246 a month in Gainesville, FL versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Gainesville, FL and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Gainesville, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Gainesville, FL to Lansing, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by −1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.3% in real buying power.
- Gainesville, FL: price level 96.7 (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
| Gainesville, FL | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.7 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,199 in Lansing | $101,834 in Gainesville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,246/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,020 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Gainesville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Gainesville, FL and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Gainesville | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.0 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 88.2 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 96.7 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Gainesville, FL → Lansing, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
74 Strong offer
Lansing, MI → Gainesville, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Gainesville, FL 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 Gainesville, FL to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Gainesville, FL | Lansing, MI | Real change, Gainesville → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | +12.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | +12.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | +12.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | +12.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | +12.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Gainesville, FL | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Gainesville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $56,430 | $72,930 | $74,267 (+31.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,950 | $97,120 | $98,901 (−19.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,820 | $79,210 | $80,663 (+6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,870 | $84,320 | $85,866 (+4.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.