City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Tallahassee, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 1.1% higher than in Tallahassee, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tallahassee, FL would need about $101,100 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,204 a month in Tallahassee, FL versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Tallahassee, FL and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Tallahassee, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Tallahassee, FL ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Tallahassee, FL: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Tallahassee, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 93.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,871 in Tallahassee | $101,141 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,204/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $46,520 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Tallahassee, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Tallahassee, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 78.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 87.5 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 93.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Tallahassee, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
72 Strong offer
Tallahassee, FL → Lansing, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Tallahassee, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Tallahassee, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Tallahassee, FL | Real change, Lansing → Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Tallahassee, FL | Tallahassee pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $55,020 | $55,648 (−23.7%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $121,800 | $123,190 (+26.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $61,840 | $62,546 (−21.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $79,430 | $80,337 (−4.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.