City comparison
Lansing, MI vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Lansing, MI (95.0) and St. Louis, MO (95.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Lansing, MI goes as far as $100,100 in St. Louis, MO.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,012 a month in Lansing, MI and $995 in St. Louis, MO.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $3,763 in MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.0% moving from Lansing, MI to St. Louis, MO ($117,402 → $109,137), while prices change by +0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.1% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,102 in St. Louis | $99,898 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → St. Louis, MO
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$237/yr.
68 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Lansing, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$237/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Lansing → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $63,288 | −7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $76,573 | −7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $91,779 | −7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $109,137 | −7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $128,967 | −7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $60,650 | $60,588 (−16.9%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $129,030 | $128,898 (+32.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $78,880 | $78,800 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $83,180 | $83,095 (−1.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.