City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Minneapolis, MN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Minneapolis, MN are 10.3% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $110,300 in Minneapolis, MN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,405 a month in Minneapolis, MN versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Minneapolis, MN and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,277 a year higher in Minneapolis, MN than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.2% moving from Lansing, MI to Minneapolis, MN ($117,402 → $116,038), while prices change by +10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.4% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Minneapolis, MN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 104.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,349 in Minneapolis | $90,621 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,405/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $73,903 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,277 (MN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $59,320 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 111.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 103.1 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 93.5 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 104.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Minneapolis, MN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,277/yr.
39 Weak offer
Minneapolis, MN → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,277/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Minneapolis, MN is in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Minneapolis, MN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Minneapolis, MN | Real change, Lansing → Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $67,290 | −10.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $81,415 | −10.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $97,582 | −10.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $116,038 | −10.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $137,123 | −10.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Minneapolis, MN | Minneapolis pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $79,730 | $72,252 (−0.9%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $130,920 | $118,641 (+22.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $86,500 | $78,387 (−1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $103,040 | $93,376 (+10.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.