City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 8.6% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $108,600 in Trenton, NJ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,545 a month in Trenton, NJ versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $4,180 in NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.8% moving from Lansing, MI to Trenton, NJ ($117,402 → $125,431), while prices change by +8.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.6% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Trenton, NJ: price level 103.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,621 in Trenton | $92,063 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$181/yr.
44 Weak offer
Trenton, NJ → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$181/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Lansing → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $72,737 | −1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $88,005 | −1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $105,481 | −1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $125,431 | −1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $148,222 | −1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $77,850 | $71,671 (−1.7%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $128,770 | $118,550 (+22.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $99,550 | $91,649 (+15.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $99,990 | $92,054 (+9.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.