City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Little Rock, AR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 6.3% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $106,300 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,012 a month in Lansing, MI and $989 in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $312 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Little Rock, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Little Rock, AR ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.6% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Little Rock, AR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 89.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,076 in Little Rock | $106,297 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $989/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,493 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,687 (AR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $45,790 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Little Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 68.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 74.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 95.3 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 89.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$312/yr.
88 Strong offer
Little Rock, AR → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$312/yr.
50 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Little Rock, AR is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Little Rock, AR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Little Rock, AR | Real change, Lansing → Little Rock |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Little Rock, AR | Little Rock pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $97,540 | $94,070 | $99,993 (+2.5%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $104,070 | $110,623 (+13.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $65,810 | $69,954 (−11.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $81,070 | $86,175 (+2.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.