City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Lubbock, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 4.0% higher than in Lubbock, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Lubbock, TX would need about $104,000 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,012 a month in Lansing, MI and $990 in Lubbock, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Lubbock, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Lubbock, TX ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.7% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Lubbock, TX: price level 91.3 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Lubbock, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 91.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,132 in Lubbock | $104,023 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $990/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $42,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Lubbock, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Lubbock, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Lubbock |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 76.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 82.8 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 91.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Lubbock, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
81 Strong offer
Lubbock, TX → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Lubbock, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Lubbock, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Lubbock, TX | Real change, Lansing → Lubbock |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Lubbock, TX | Lubbock pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $59,220 | $61,603 (−15.5%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $115,190 | $119,824 (+23.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $74,390 | $77,383 (−2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $81,480 | $84,758 (+0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.