City comparison
Jackson, MS vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 6.7% higher than in Jackson, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Jackson, MS would need about $106,700 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,097 a month in Jackson, MS versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Jackson, MS and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $731 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Jackson, MS.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Jackson, MS to Lansing, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by +6.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.4% in real buying power.
- Jackson, MS: price level 89.0 (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
| Jackson, MS | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.0 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,674 in Lansing | $93,744 in Jackson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,097/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,912 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,268 (MS) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,850 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Jackson, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Jackson, MS and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jackson | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.8 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 78.1 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 89.0 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jackson, MS → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$731/yr.
49 Fair offer
Lansing, MI → Jackson, MS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$731/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Jackson, MS 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 Jackson, MS to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jackson, MS | Lansing, MI | Real change, Jackson → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | +3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | +3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | +3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | +3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | +3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jackson, MS | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Jackson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,240 | $72,930 | $68,367 (+36.1%) |
| Software Developers | $96,990 | $97,120 | $91,044 (−6.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,720 | $79,210 | $74,254 (+5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,630 | $84,320 | $79,045 (−4.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.