City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 2.2% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $102,200 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $929 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.1% moving from Lansing, MI to Reading, PA ($117,402 → $117,284), while prices change by +2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.2% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,178 in Reading | $97,868 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$929/yr.
62 Fair offer
Reading, PA → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$929/yr.
76 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Reading, PA | Real change, Lansing → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $68,013 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $82,289 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $98,630 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $117,284 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $138,595 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $97,540 | $102,480 | $100,295 (+2.8%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $120,920 | $118,342 (+21.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $75,550 | $73,940 (−6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $98,470 | $96,371 (+14.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.