City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 12.3% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $112,300 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Lansing, MI to Sacramento, CA ($117,402 → $117,984), while prices change by +12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.5% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,295 in Sacramento | $89,051 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.9%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
31 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Lansing → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $68,419 | −10.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $82,780 | −10.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $99,218 | −10.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $117,984 | −10.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $139,422 | −10.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $103,390 | $92,070 (+26.2%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $139,640 | $124,351 (+28.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $92,110 | $82,025 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $171,460 | $152,687 (+81.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.