City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 5.6% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $105,600 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.9% moving from Lansing, MI to Spokane, WA ($117,402 → $106,991), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.7% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,637 in Spokane | $94,663 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
52 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Spokane, WA | Real change, Lansing → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,044 | −13.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,068 | −13.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,974 | −13.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,991 | −13.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $126,432 | −13.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $98,800 | $93,528 (+28.2%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $130,690 | $123,716 (+27.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $86,350 | $81,742 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $111,750 | $105,786 (+25.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.