City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salem, OR are 9.1% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $109,100 in Salem, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,201 a month in Salem, OR versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Salem, OR and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,921 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Salem, OR ($117,402 → $114,684), while prices change by +9.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.5% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,115 in Salem | $91,647 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Salem, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,921/yr.
43 Weak offer
Salem, OR → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,921/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Salem, OR | Real change, Lansing → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $66,505 | −10.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $80,465 | −10.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $96,443 | −10.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $114,684 | −10.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $135,522 | −10.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $74,810 | $68,561 (−6.0%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $131,620 | $120,626 (+24.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $87,480 | $80,173 (+1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $131,750 | $120,745 (+43.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.