City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 6.3% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $106,300 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.0% moving from Lansing, MI to Reno, NV ($117,402 → $106,855), while prices change by +6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.4% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,341 in Reno | $94,037 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
50 Fair offer
Reno, NV → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Reno, NV | Real change, Lansing → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,965 | −14.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,972 | −14.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,859 | −14.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,855 | −14.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $126,271 | −14.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $62,430 | $58,708 (−19.5%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $125,710 | $118,214 (+21.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $82,370 | $77,459 (−2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $107,520 | $101,109 (+19.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.