City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Grand Rapids, MI (95.5) and Lansing, MI (95.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI goes as far as $99,400 in Lansing, MI.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- Both are in MI, so estimated state income tax is the same: $3,999 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Lansing, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by −0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.9% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (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
| Grand Rapids, MI | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,419 in Lansing | $100,584 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Lansing, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
71 Strong offer
Lansing, MI → Grand Rapids, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI 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 Grand Rapids, MI to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Lansing, MI | Real change, Grand Rapids → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | +10.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | +10.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | +10.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | +10.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | +10.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $72,930 | $73,356 (+18.5%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $97,120 | $97,687 (−9.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $79,210 | $79,673 (+4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $84,320 | $84,813 (+1.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.