City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 3.4% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $103,400 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,148 a month in Omaha, NE versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $329 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.4% moving from Lansing, MI to Omaha, NE ($117,402 → $107,501), while prices change by −3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.4% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,758 in Omaha | $103,351 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$329/yr.
79 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$329/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Omaha, NE | Real change, Lansing → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,339 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,425 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $90,402 | −5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $107,501 | −5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $127,033 | −5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $62,670 | $64,770 (−11.2%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $125,220 | $129,416 (+33.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $77,030 | $79,611 (+0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $84,600 | $87,435 (+3.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.