City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Memphis, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 3.1% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $103,100 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,154 a month in Memphis, TN versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Memphis, TN and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Memphis, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Memphis, TN ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Memphis, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,040 in Memphis | $103,051 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,154/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $46,890 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Memphis, TN-MS-AR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 74.1 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 95.4 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
78 Strong offer
Memphis, TN → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Memphis, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Memphis, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Memphis, TN | Real change, Lansing → Memphis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Memphis, TN | Memphis pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $61,510 | $63,386 (−13.1%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $125,580 | $129,411 (+33.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $76,960 | $79,308 (+0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $81,500 | $83,986 (−0.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.