City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Louisville, KY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 2.1% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $102,100 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,012 a month in Lansing, MI and $1,047 in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $617 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Louisville, KY ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.5% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,982 in Louisville | $102,060 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,047/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,798 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,382 (KY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $48,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 75.0 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.8 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$617/yr.
75 Strong offer
Louisville, KY → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$617/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Louisville, KY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Louisville, KY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Louisville, KY | Real change, Lansing → Louisville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Louisville, KY | Louisville pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $61,610 | $62,879 (−13.8%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $110,270 | $112,541 (+15.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $76,320 | $77,892 (−1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $84,850 | $86,598 (+2.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.