City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Richmond, VA are 3.0% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $103,000 in Richmond, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $937 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Richmond, VA ($117,402 → $111,183), while prices change by +3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.1% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,018 in Richmond | $97,070 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Richmond, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$937/yr.
60 Fair offer
Richmond, VA → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$937/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Richmond, VA | Real change, Lansing → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $64,475 | −8.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $78,009 | −8.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $93,499 | −8.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $111,183 | −8.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $131,385 | −8.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $61,290 | $59,494 (−18.4%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $132,120 | $128,249 (+32.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $84,220 | $81,753 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $93,580 | $90,838 (+7.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.