City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 1.5% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $101,500 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,012 a month in Lansing, MI and $1,028 in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $929 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Scranton, PA ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,489 in Scranton | $101,534 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,028/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% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Scranton, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$929/yr.
74 Strong offer
Scranton, PA → Lansing, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$929/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Scranton, PA | Real change, Lansing → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $76,590 | $77,765 (+6.6%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $119,960 | $121,800 (+25.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $70,480 | $71,561 (−9.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $82,650 | $83,918 (−0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.