City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 2.1% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $102,100 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $736 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.9% moving from Huntsville, AL to Lansing, MI ($110,847 → $117,402), while prices change by +2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.8% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (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
| Huntsville, AL | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,062 in Lansing | $97,980 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$736/yr.
62 Fair offer
Lansing, MI → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$736/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Lansing, MI | Real change, Huntsville → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $68,081 | +3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $82,372 | +3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $98,729 | +3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $117,402 | +3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $138,734 | +3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $72,930 | $71,457 (+14.8%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $97,120 | $95,158 (−25.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $79,210 | $77,610 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $84,320 | $82,617 (+7.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.