City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Springfield, MA are 1.1% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $101,100 in Springfield, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $781 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Springfield, MA ($117,402 → $120,094), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.2% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,126 in Springfield | $98,886 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Springfield, MA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$781/yr.
65 Fair offer
Springfield, MA → Lansing, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$781/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Springfield, MA | Real change, Lansing → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $69,642 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $84,260 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $100,992 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $120,094 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $141,915 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $79,640 | $78,753 (+8.0%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $127,740 | $126,317 (+30.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $92,010 | $90,985 (+14.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $98,410 | $97,314 (+15.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.