City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 2.6% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $102,600 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,197 a month in Kansas City, MO versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kansas City, MO and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,763 a year in MO and $3,999 in MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.5% moving from Kansas City, MO to Lansing, MI ($108,173 → $117,402), while prices change by +2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.7% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (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
| Kansas City, MO | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,645 in Lansing | $97,423 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$237/yr.
61 Fair offer
Lansing, MI → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$237/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Lansing, MI | Real change, Kansas City → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $68,081 | +5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $82,372 | +5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $98,729 | +5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $117,402 | +5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $138,734 | +5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $72,930 | $71,051 (+16.4%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $97,120 | $94,617 (−24.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $79,210 | $77,169 (−3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $84,320 | $82,147 (−1.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.