City comparison
Kingsport, TN vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 9.9% higher than in Kingsport, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Kingsport, TN would need about $109,900 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,012 a month in Lansing, MI versus $818 in Kingsport, TN. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Lansing, MI and 12% in Kingsport, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Kingsport, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Kingsport, TN to Lansing, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by +9.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Kingsport, TN: price level 86.4 (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
| Kingsport, TN | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.4 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,884 in Lansing | $91,005 in Kingsport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $818/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 12% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,240 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kingsport | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 56.5 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 75.9 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 95.8 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 86.4 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kingsport, TN → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
41 Weak offer
Lansing, MI → Kingsport, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.9%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kingsport, TN 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 Kingsport, TN to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kingsport, TN | Lansing, MI | Real change, Kingsport → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kingsport, TN | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Kingsport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,130 | $72,930 | $66,370 (+14.2%) |
| Software Developers | $115,310 | $97,120 | $88,385 (−23.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,940 | $79,210 | $72,085 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $76,730 | $84,320 | $76,736 (+0.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.