City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 5.4% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $105,400 in Kennewick, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,268 a month in Kennewick, WA versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kennewick, WA and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Kennewick, WA to Lansing, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by −5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +16.2% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- 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
| Kennewick, WA | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,916 in Lansing | $105,356 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
85 Strong offer
Lansing, MI → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA 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 Kennewick, WA to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Lansing, MI | Real change, Kennewick → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | +16.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | +16.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | +16.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | +16.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | +16.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $72,930 | $76,836 (−23.5%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $97,120 | $102,322 (−19.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $79,210 | $83,453 (−10.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $84,320 | $88,836 (−16.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.